


Fighting for love (Severus Snape fanfiction) BOOK TWO of A magical Muggle

by ScorpyR



Series: Severus Snape and Ana Dumbledore's love story [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Angst, Danger, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Grief/Mourning, Healing, Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, Investigations, Laboratories, Love, Mind Control, Mind Manipulation, Pain, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-War, Potions, Professors, Sex, Sorrow, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:21:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 74,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23313085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScorpyR/pseuds/ScorpyR
Summary: Book Two of A Magical MuggleLife after the Second Wizarding War was not easy for Ana and Severus, but they managed to endure it and they were back to Hogwarts, stronger than ever. There were challenges ahead that none of them was prepared for as they thought the worst had passed.***If you haven't read the first book, I advise you to do so.It's called A Magical Mugglehttps://archiveofourown.org/works/18828076I have written the first book on Ana's POV. This one has no POV. It's in the third person. Just because :)I hope you enjoy it... Love you all!
Relationships: Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Severus Snape and Ana Dumbledore's love story [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669240
Comments: 22
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

*****One year and a half after the Second Wizarding War*****

* * *

"Where is Ana?" Minerva, the Hogwarts actual headmistress, asked in a hushed tone, leaning closer to Severus' ears.

Severus' dark irises were focused on the Great Hall's doors, impatiently idling for the woman who has stolen his heart the moment she collided against him at King's Cross station. A moment that seemed to have occurred a distant eternity ago, in another lifetime, where Severus never deemed he was going to feel such sentiments ever again. They fell in love with each other at a time where relationships and trust had an unpredictable outcome and such love as theirs prevailed throughout the commotion of the Ministry of Magic's investigations and all the press meddling and rudeness.

When Voldemort was killed, Severus had a hard time getting his life back together. It wasn't just the fact that he needed to show people he was never under Voldemort's orders and he never shared their beliefs. The hardest parts were the endless nights awake, the awful memories playing in his head over and over again, day and night. And the nightmares... The nightmares completely raided the remainder of the will and humor he possessed.

Ana endured those moments, transcending Severus' expectations.

She held him in her arms, she rocked him back and forth, hugging him tightly as if he was the most precious thing in the world. A woman who had lost all kinds of a family she had, discovered her horrifying heritage but, in the end, remained pure and strong and managed to take care of him in such atrocious moments.

"You know her. She neglects the world when she's working on something major," Severus replied, his eyes never forsaking the wooden doors.

Ana had a gift. Sometimes, Severus honestly believes she was bestowed by God himself. Otherwise, how would she be able to handle everything so well, and lift him up whenever he felt down? The nightmares had started to diminish gradually, the long restless nights were replaced by long relaxing nights tangled in each other sated bodies, and the images of the deaths of his dearest ones were no longer in his mind, as Ana filled his mind with many other matters. Like being late all the time.

"Oh, there she is!" Minerva said excitedly.

With a contagious smile on her lips and a dark red wine jumpsuit with a small cape on her back, no one was indifferent to that lovely creature.

Several heads turned around to admire her charming persona, walking happily through the Great Hall, greeting several known students.

A year and a half had passed since the Second Wizarding Word. A lot of work was done in that school. Lots of sweat and tears fell to the floor while rebuilding it to its former glory. And that year, the staff had finally regained the parent's trust in them and the school was filled with students once more.

The first years' were awaiting the corridor, the anxiety hovering the air and being received by Ana's senses. She had succeeded to get her powers under control again, after Severus' "amazing" healing tea during the war. She still wondered what the hell was his infatuation with rare flowers' properties and healing teas. They were beneficial, that was correct, but nonetheless, she urged him not to use them on her ever again.

For half a year Ana had some problems with her powers. Several glasses and windows were shattered on Ana's house, the one Dumbledore had given her. At least that had Severus occupied considering he was the one constantly fixing them, as Ana settled at the corner, nibbling her nails, anticipating Severus' scolding. But it never came. All she received were his narrowed dark eyes gawking at her mixed with a delightful embrace.

"Good evening, my friends," Ana said, winking at Hagrid who discreetly endeavored to cover his crimson cheeks.

"Late as always," Severus' stern voice merited her attention.

"You know me," she said. "For sure I'd be late for my own funeral."

Severus rolled his eyes, striving to hide the gleam behind them as he contemplated Ana's perfect silhouette. Even after all these years, watching her seemed like the first time. There was something unconventional about her that he couldn't quite point out - something that tempted him every instant she's around. Anything would do, even the fragrance of her fruity perfume.

"Besides," she continued. "This is the earliest I've ever been late!"

Minerva choked on her drink as she tried to conceal her laugh. And that's how it usually went. Ana would show up, spread her happiness everywhere, corrupting even the grumpiest person in the world.

Ana took her seat by Severus's side and her and his glass were immediately filled up with wine.

Severus discerned the beverage in front of him and lifted his brow.

"We're celebrating," Ana clarified, grabbing her cup and handing Severus his.

"Care to tell me why?"

"I have discovered something. Do you know what an Angel's Trumpet Drought is?"

"Obviously."

Ana smirked at his annoyed tone.

"But you do not know what is the source of its herbs nor its location, am I right?"

"It is of common knowledge that such potion might be a myth," Severus said, his eyes roaming for a second to the entrance of the Great Hall as the first years' made their way to the sorting hat. One by one they were called and one by one they were sorted into the adequate house considering their traits and aspirations. Severus remembered when the hat yelled Slytherin on his first year.

"Well, it's not," Ana said and Severus snapped his head at her. She had his full attention.

"Elaborate, please."

"I have been studying the history of healing potions and herbs, diseases, poisons, among other things, and I have been noticing something interesting through all the books and documentation I have encountered. I started digging deep and I found something. The probable location of the herb," she spoke in a low tone.

"Probable?"

"Ok - it's the exact location. I have contacted a friend from South America," Ana continued explaining Severus how she has been exchanging letters and herbs with that mysterious friend he had no knowledge of until that moment, and she noticed how his eyes became darker.

Severus had another hard step ahead of him that he has been finding quite impossible to overcome: his jealousy over anything that moves around Ana. His dear Ana. "It's a Brugmansia. It is used by the tribes as a narcotic and there are rumors it has been in use by several witches through all England territory."

"Are you sure you have found it?" Severus asked, clearing his throat and clearing his mind of his thoughts. Thoughts of rage and fear that Ana might find someone younger and more exciting in the middle of the science investigation team. She is Hogwarts' healer, but she was also offered a position as a member of a new task force that works towards innovation and the creation of several kinds of treatments and methods of healing. That puts her in contact with all sorts of people and that worried Severus at a major level.

Ana lifted a brow and Severus curled his lips up. She's always sure of the things she shares with him and he simply loves the fact that she runs to his arms to share her findings with him. Every single time.

"I have it in my office," she wiggled her brows and Severus smirk vanished in an instant. "And I have made a few tests and I have great conclusions."

"Bloody hell, Ana, that is outstanding!" Severus said, clearing his throat when several members of the staff team turned their heads at him.

"I -- I still need to study a few things, but... yeah, I think it might help in many fields," Ana said, feeling her cheeks reddening.

Severus raised his glass and leaned it against hers. Ana smiled shyly at him, making him feel a twist on his stomach, a twist he feels every time she looks at him with her big shiny eyes.  
That moment, he wanted so badly to feel her lips, but they were not in the proper place to display such affections, especially on the first day of school.

"To you and your brilliant mind," Severus said before drinking his wine.

Ana chuckled and mimicked him, setting her glass down after emptying it.

"I must establish that we will resume this celebration later," Severus said, his eyes on the houses' sorting, but his attention solely on his beloved.

She caught the intention behind his words and gulped, feeling her cheeks reddening once again. That happens a lot. Severus holds such power over her and he was never even aware of it.

"I still want to show you my progress after this is over," Ana said. "In my office."

"So?"

Ana snapped her head at Severus and widened her eyes at the meaning of that conversation. Was he proposing what she thought he was proposing?

With an absence of response, Severus looked at Ana who was staring up at him too close for his own good.

"I beg you, do not look at me that way," he muttered.

"Why?"

"You know why," he replied, his eyes traveling down to her lips and back to her eyes.

"Then, I will continue because I simply love to see you like this," Ana said in a playful tone.

"Teasing amuses you?"

"Teasing you? Absolutely," she replied.

Severus didn't reply. He turned his head as Minerva raised from her chair. The house's sorting had finished and it was time for her speech as headmistress, to welcome the new students and the old ones. She started by thanking their faith in that school and their will to study and evolve as wizards and useful members of the society. Then, as usual, she advised them of the dangers hidden behind Hogwarts' walls and explained everything that they can or cannot do inside the castle grounds.

Ana's eyes gawked at the ceiling lights. Minerva truly exceeded herself this time. There were a full moon and stars and several candles floating gracefully in the air. The students were so engrossed in her speech that they disregarded the beauty above their young heads.

Her attention was stolen by Minerva again when she caught Dumbledore's name.

It still hurt inside. Whenever someone speaks his name, she remembers the moment of his death. How Severus pronounced the worst words she ever had heard...

Apparently, the same thoughts occurred through Severus' mind, as if it was all happening again at the moment. Ana felt it. Their soul connection was stronger than it ever was and that was why she managed to help him heal his deep wounds and get himself back together.

Severus' expression was resolute, staring at Minerva as she remembered Dumbledore's cheeky aphorisms and his most honorable actions for that school. His body became rigid and tense and his lungs seemed to stop working.

When Ana's soft hand squeezed his under the table, he was snapped out of that trance. And suddenly all the sad thoughts in his head have vanished. That was how they managed to achieve such positions: supporting each other, understanding each other pains and wiping every tear. They knew there was still a long way to go, but at least they were at peace, they had a home and they had friends. Loyal friends. There was no need to look over their shoulder anymore and there was no need to hide their romantic relationship. It all seemed to perfect to be true, at least those were recurrent thoughts in Severus' mind.

When the night was over and the students were guided to their headquarters, the staff started recoiling to their chambers to gather energy, for the next day would be the first day of a long year.

Ana got up and grabbed Severus's hand who obediently followed her. The smell of her shampoo filled his nostrils as her waves bounced beautifully at each step she took. He never grew tired of admiring her, either she's awake or asleep. When he suffered insomnia, instead of having a sleeping potion or reading a book, he'd look at her peaceful face and wondered what she was dreaming. He wondered if he was on her mind as she was on his. He wondered how on Earth was he so lucky to have her by his side. On his bed. Under his sheets.

"As you see, the plant has a strong green base," Ana snapped him out of thoughts as she started showing the Angel's Trumpet's herb guarded inside of a small glass chamber. "But the flowers are white, yellow, green, pink, orange, and, the most lethal one, red."

She then opened her notebook.

"Well, most of the flowers can kill you if ingested in high quantities, but -- " she showed him some sketches and calculations and he contemplated her handwriting and her proud expression as she explained her achievements. The small dimples she forms when she tries to hide her proud smirk were simply too seductive and sometimes he found himself imagining what would be like if he simply ignored the world and spent the rest of his time making that woman happy. No school, no classes, just him and her in their humble house. But he knew such a dream was not possible. Not yet, at least. She had proved how smart and powerful she can be, she had performed several discoveries throughout her trainee period and she continued surprising everyone with small breakthroughs, contributing to the wizarding world at a level that most old wizards never were capable of reaching. She was born for that.

"If you extract the right amount of essence from the flowers what could be the applications?"

"Uh, most of them can produce powerful healing potions for anti-venoms, infections, I mean, you name it. And... I can also make a Tonic for Trace Detection... A very powerful tonic."

"The Ministry would pay hundreds of Galleons for such possession," Severus thought out loud, his mouth slightly dropped open.

Ana closed her book and locked it in the safety vault.

"That is why I am pondering on keeping this in secret for now. Imagine if this falls in the wrong hands."

"Disaster."

"Exactly," she said, turning around to look at him.

The change of gleam in her eyes exposed how her mind was traveling too quickly to other thoughts. Severus stood against the balcony of her laboratory, his eyes following Ana as she walked to him. Her hands gently massaged his arms up and down, her eyes glued to his.

"You said something about celebrating after the diner," Ana said. "In here."

"I did."

Severus arms embraced her delicate body and drew her closer, his warmth involving her and provoking shivers down her spine. He leaned in, approaching her lips slowly, making her suffer in anticipation.

"What did you have in mind?" She whispered, her voice weakening as he barely brushed his lips against hers. His mere touch was enough to send her to heaven. The pulsing sensation he produces on her runs through her body, fills her veins, and makes her heart pump inside her chest. When she's that overwhelmed, he can do whatever he wants to her and she would easily comply.

Without giving her time to protest, Severus assaulted her lips fervently, kissing her passionately but not gently as he uses to. This time, he was hungry and he wanted her, right there, right at that moment. The door was locked, her office was private, and he had her all to himself.

In a swift movement, he had her pinned down against her own desk and his hands worked to unzip her jumpsuit.

"May I show you?"


	2. Chapter 2

First day of school.

Things have changed. _A lot._ But one thing that never changed was the noises and the rush in the hallways as the first-classes approaches. Due to obvious reasons, the most anxious students were having potions class in the first period. Severus Snape has been Potions Master in Hogwarts since a very young age. In fact, he was the youngest professor having the pleasure to teach in such a glorious school. At the same time, he had forged a reputation amongst students, as they saw him as the boogeyman.

After being known all his doings and everything he had done for the school, he was seen as a war hero. Harry Potter was famous because of who he was and because he killed Voldemort in the end, but without Severus, none of that would be possible.

So, the way students thought of him had changed too and they were anxious, not because of his reputation as a terrifying man, but because they would have the war hero as their teacher.

Ana blinked several times that morning, as she adjusted to the light. Her soft hand roamed the shits, seeking the love of her life. But it found nothing on the side where he should be lying, so her eyes snapped open to inspect the empty bedroom. 

She raised her body and turned her head around, but there were no signs of Severus. Looking at the clock, she furrowed her brows because it was too early in the morning for him to leave the bed, so she decided to search for him. 

Getting up, she stretched her naked body and grabbed Severus' shirt, laying on the floor. It still had his scent and that made her smile warmly. 

Walking out of the room, she immediately acknowledged his presence and stood at the door gawking at her relaxed boyfriend.

Severus had his hair falling to one side, as his narrowed eyes analyzed his notes for the first class. Ana never saw him that nervous about the classes, it seemed like it was his first time teaching and she knew that was because he was afraid of what the students might think of him or afraid that they stop showing him respect because of everything that happened. Obviously, even though he was proved innocent, with concrete proofs, there are skeptical people and haters everywhere.

"Come to bed," Ana's soft voice interrupted his note's revision.

"Do you miss me already?" He asked, but never took his eyes off the papers.

"All the time," she said, walking behind him to massage his shoulders. "You'll be fine, love. Like you've always been. There's no need to feel nervous about it."

"I am not nervous."

"Since when were you able to lie to me?"

Severus sighed and leaned his head back, against her stomach and looked up. His eyes immediately became darker as he furrowed his brows.

"That's my shirt," he said.

"Yes. It is," Ana replied.

"Do not think you are going to keep it as you did with others I had," Severus said, trying to hide his amused tone. He loved to see Ana using his clothes, it gave him a sense of possession. Not in a possessive-obsessive way, but as a way to fortify the fact that she was truly his, that she was truly in his life and that he was not dreaming.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

The suggestive tone behind her voice made him smirk. He got up from his chair and grabbed her waist, drawing her closer to him. Then, with one hand keeping her in place, the other started unbuttoning the shirt. Licking his lips, Severus kissed Ana in a slow and passionate way, feeling some kind of electricity raising on his core, as he always feels when he feels her touch. His hand finally released her from his shirt but it didn't stop. He needed to feel more of her, so he touched her skin a very gentle way, sending shivers down her spine, and he used both his arms to pull her up to his lap, straddling her legs around his waist.

Ana's petite hands brushed the roots of his hair, massaging his scalp and pulling his hair with enough force to make him moan in her mouth. A smirk appeared on his face as that sound was pure heaven to her.

"Sev," she tried to speak as he had her laying down on their bed again, his body on top of hers. "Sev!"

Severus, who attacked her shoulder snapped his head up to look at her. She bit her lower lip when she noticed the lustful gleam in his eyes.

"You need to take a shower and get ready for classes," she said, making Severus groan and bury his head on the crook of her neck.

"Why did I came here? We could just have stayed in our home, in bed, all day," he muttered, loud enough for Ana to hear.

"You'd grow tired of me," Ana said in a playful tone. "Seeing me 24/7."

"That would be like being in heaven."

"Yeah, boring," Ana said, smiling when Severus raised his head to look at him.

"Wouldn't it feel like heaven to you, being with me every hour of the day and every hour of the night?" He asked, slightly curious about the outcome of that conversation.

"Trust me, what you did to me in my office last night, has no place in heaven," she said, earning a chuckle from Severus. _What a divine sound._

"Do you always have funny remarks? I cannot remember the last time you did not have your way with words," Severus said, sitting up on the bed and starting to take off his clothes to get into the bathroom.

Ana simply chuckled and observed as Severus walked with no garments on and disappeared to the bathroom. She covered her body with the silky sheets and relaxed with her head back on the pillow. She still had some time that morning, so she decided to stay a while longer, relaxing, knowing the start of the year was going to be busy. She had her investigations undergoing, but the start of the school year meant Quiditich tests, where students frequently got injured. What she feared the most was her capabilities to handle everything at the same time.

She had formation with Pomfrey and she even worked at St. Mungo's Hospital, earning several rewards for her work. She treated so many people that she shouldn't be feeling that anxious. But she was, nonetheless.

"Are you not going to start your day?" Severus interrupted her thoughts and Ana looked at him, her eyes admiring Severus' torso in delight. 

"No, I still have a few more minutes before going to the bath," Ana replied, watching as Severus got ready in a matter of minutes.

She rolled to the bedside table and grabbed a book she has been reading, trying not to think about making Severus late to his first class. It was hard for her not to look over her book as Severus buttoned up his shirt and his dark robes. It was hard not to put the book down and crawl through the bed to pull him to her and kiss him deeply once again.

"I need to leave, Ana," he said between kisses.

"Alright," she said, caressing his cheek. "I wish we could have a walk in the afternoon. It seems like today will be a very sunny day."

"I wish I could to... But I think today is going to be tiresome for me... Besides, I have a meeting with Minerva later, and I don't really know when I will be free."

"I will wait for you in our chambers, then."

"Deal," Severus walked to the door and turned the knob around, but he heard Ana coughing on purpose to call for his attention. "Yes?"

"Will you really leave me like this?" Ana asked, lifting a brow.

"Oh, woman..." But, obviously, he rushed back to her and pressed his lips against hers. "I love you."

"Much better." Concluded Ana. "I love you too." 

***

A few hours later, Ana was already tired of being locked in her laboratory, as she proceeded with the tests of the new Draught's she was working on. Even though she had talked to her colleagues around the world, none of them knew exactly what she was working on, and she wanted to keep it that way. Not because she's selfish, but because she needed to be sure of her findings before sharing them, and because such findings could pose a threat if shared with the wrong sort of people.

The only person Ana could trust, besides Severus, of course, was Jonathan, aka Johnny, her colleague on the investigation team. They have been close friends since she joined the team as he trusted her with everything. Severus was not very pleased with such friendship, but Ana always has a way to soothe him and make him believe there was no one in the world that could interfere with her feelings for him. Besides, Johnny has a girlfriend, a very pretty one and only when he introduced her to Severus on a couples-diner, he became more at ease with their partnership.

A knock on Ana's office door had her startled.

Sighing at her jumpy personality, she opened the door after closing her notes book.

"Hi," Filch said, his cheeks slightly blushed. The man always blushes when Ana smiles at him. "There's a letter for you."

"Oh, thank you very much! Have a nice day Mr. Filch," Ana said, grabbing the letter.

"I told you already, no Mr., only Filch," he said before turning around to leave.

Ana smiled at the man and closed the door, looking immediately at the letter. It was Harry's.

_Dear Ana and Severus._

_I hope all is well with both of you and that life has been treating you fairly._

_Without many ceremonies and calling spade a spade I will talk directly about my letter's purpose. Within a month, Ginny and I are getting married. It is a personal and small party where only the closest and dearest will be invited. You, obviously, are the most important people in our lives and we'd like to invite you to our wedding. Together with this letter, there are the invitations and the indications of the date, time and location._

_We are hoping to see you at the wedding._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry._

Ana covered her mouth with her hands to stop herself from squealing. Harry and Ginny's wedding! That was simply perfect! She couldn't wait to share the news with Severus, but she decided to calm herself down and continue with her work. So, setting the letter down, she focused on her notebook and on the tests she was performing with different kinds of herbs. The types of the tests she used had no need for magic, as they simply implied a combination of already brewed potions (Severus's) and many other specific items for each kind of outcome she desires.

Since she started working on the Angels' Trumpet, she has been working in Hogwarts, confined between her office's walls where she had everything she needed. When she was requested at the investigation team lab, she'd use the Floo Powder on her own office's fireplace - Minerva's courtesy.

That day, she had to go to the lab and, wearing her white science gown (like the one muggles use) she showed up with her usual energetic smile.

"Hello!" She greeted her two teammates with a powerful voice that had them startled. They both yelped and scolded Ana as she does that every time she shows up unexpectedly.

"Are you for real?" Johnny grumbled, making Ana laugh.

"What are you working on today? Did you get my notes on the update of the Skelegro potion?" Ana asked, patting Johnny's and Alba's back.

"Yes, we are actually working on it at the moment," Alba said. "It's really outstanding. How did you even though of that?"

"It was actually because of a conversation Severus and I had a few months ago about bones and structure. We met a man that was born without bones in his right leg... Squishy man," Ana said, grimacing as she remembered the dreadful moment. "Anyway, I asked him about the Skelogro potion and he showed me how to brew one. The vessel he gave me was enough to run a few tests... and there ya go."

"I have a lot of questions for you," Alba said. "First of all, for what we understood, it's less painful than the original one."

"Yes. Well, not quite less painful," she pointed at the notes she shared with them, which were on the table and showed them the name of a sedative flower from South Asia. "This one has a specific type of structure that combines with the original Skelegro. First, it cuts the communication of your body's sensory receptors with the cortex. As if you were paralyzed and you couldn't feel anything. It's for a short period of time. It is used by the South Asians for somnambulism. Second, I have also found out that I can extract a particular essence from the root and use it to upgrade the potion with another amazing thing."

"I read in your notes something about people that were born with no bones, like that man," Johnny remarked.

"Exactly."

"That's your upgrade?" Ana nodded. "The department of human anatomy has been working on that for years!!! They never achieved anything like it."

"Hey these are just lab tests, they still need the Ministry approval to be tested on human beings," Ana tried to underestimate her discoveries, but she knew it was practically impossible to fail. "I need you to run a few tests for me. The ones I can't do because I don't have your type of magic."

Ana and her teammates continued their day, working on those tests. Those were the moments when Ana felt powerless. Her abilities were amazing and she had learned to accept her difference from the other magical beings. And the fact that she has been trying to achieve new abilities when it came to brewing potion has attracted Severus' interest and he has been helping her, as if he was her mentor, again. She found out she was slightly limited when it came to brewing, but she didn't mind. At least, it was an excuse to spend more time with Severus in her lab.

"These are the types of conversations you and your broody boyfriend have?" Alba asked, earning Johnny's and Ana's harsh look. "Hey, it's just a question."

"We talk about several subjects, and work is one of them. Why? Never had a proper boyfriend to know what people actually talk about?" Johnny laughed at Ana's response and Alba put her tongue out, grimacing at Ana's remark.

"Can we talk less and work more?" Johnny asked. "I have a Dating anniversary to attend to on time if I want to continue not-single, unlike Alba."

"Hey, it's my choice! Man gives me headaches," she, then turned to Ana. "It's not personal. I have nothing against Snape, and he is, in fact, a war hero. We have a lot to thank him, but... I mean, look at you. You are beautiful and young and filled with life. When I met Snape he was like... broody, dark and not talkative at all. It confuses me."

"What is it that confuses you? Love?"

Alba rolled her eyes at Ana.

"Forget it," Alba said.

"No. You can say whatever you want to say. Just don't expect me to not reply."

"I know you love him and you have been through a lot together. It's just when I look at you, I imagine you with --"

"With a prince charming, blonde, blue eyes, six-pack, on a horse?" Alba stared at Ana as she interrupted her sentence. "I know you worry about me, but I assure you that there's no one else in the world that could make me happy as Severus does. No, he is not young and happy all the time. He dresses all in black and doesn't show a smile to anyone except for me. That's because he had lived his life that way, and everyone knows it now, public knowledge, unfortunately. He doesn't trust people easily, but when he's with me, he's completely different. He laughs and makes me laugh."

"Ok, ok, I get it. But don't you think that I have anything against him, ok?"

"It's ok, don't worry. You wouldn't be the first to ask these questions," Ana said, trying to get back to work.

A long moment of awkward silence took over the laboratory as the trio tried to ease the heavy tension. Ana continued to take a few notes of the tests they were doing and kept her mouth shut until Alba's new question opened her's and Johnny's in utter shock.

"What about the sex part? Is it good?"

"What the hell Alba???"

"I am kidding!!!" She said, laughing at their shocked expression. "For Merlin's beard, can't you take a joke?"

"You're just stupid," Johnny said.

Ana remained quiet for a while, her eyes falling on the The Quibbler's edition of the day. 

"For your information, _yes_. The sex part is outstanding. What is this tittle about?" Ana asked, picking up the newspaper.

"Apparently, Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt removed the Dementors from Azkaban. He has been forming more Aurors and they replaced the Dementors, guarding the prison." Johnny said.

"Interesting," Ana said. "Bold. But interesting."

"Yeah," Johnny muttered. "Very interesting."

Johnny wasn't talking about the news anymore. His eyes were on the outcome of his tests and he focused on taking notes about what he was observing. 

The rest of the morning, they simply talked about work matters and Severus was never again the subject of their conversations. 

As Alba, a lot of people had asked Ana why she was with Severus. They said she was so different from him and they could never imagine that Severus would be able to have someone like her by his side. 

Fools.

They didn't know what they had been through together. They didn't know how much they understood, supported and loved each other. What they have been constructing over the years it's a solid relationship that one cannot see in many couples. And Ana becomes furious when anyone tries to diminish Severus' traits. What was there not to love about him? Yes, he is a terror to many people, but once someone is able to know the real him, there's nothing to hate, nothing to despise. He was imperfectly perfect and, for that, he was perfect for her. Nothing else mattered.


	3. Chapter 3

Severus had arrived at his chambers earlier than he had foreseen. His first-day teaching after the war went better than expected but still, he felt a strong headache he had hoped Ana would cure with her lovely kisses, but when he searched for her in every part of their chambers, she was nowhere to be seen. That was the first day they had to spend more than four hours apart since he returned to her after one month of interrogations in the Ministry of Magic. They simply remained in their house, tangled in each other's arms, healing together. Ana soon after began her studies to become a healer under Pomfrey's mastership but Severus would visit her every time she had a break. So that day he felt slightly anxious for not seeing Ana all day, even though he had strived to dismiss such thoughts, by terrorizing a few first years.

He had missed his classes. Even though he felt a pinch of hatred towards the intolerable and arrogant kids, he had missed it. The feeling of relinquishing his knowledge to others, watching them succeeding, or failing miserably because they are mind-limited beings. He truly had missed such feelings.

But regardless of that, he had missed even more _his_ Ana. He picked a book from the shelf and sat on the couch, reading it, but not actually paying attention to what he was reading as he was anxious about her return. 

Severus felt stupid and like a teenager in love, but the feeling was so genuine and good that he did not care about how he might seem. He was well aware Ana felt precisely the same, and that was that honestly mattered to him.

What he loves the most is her ability to spread joy in every room she walks in. Everyone sees that and notices the difference when she's around. That was exactly what he needed in his life and never he imagined it would feel like he was in heaven.

The chamber's door was opened slowly and a very focused Ana walked in, her eyes glued to some papers she was holding in her hand.

Severus' heart was flustered at the sight, the way she curls one side of her lips when she's focused and how she narrows her eyes as she tries to process something in her head. He didn't speak or moved, though. He just observed her until she noticed him sitting on the couch. Her expression melted him, as her face lightened up all of a sudden and her eyes glistered.

"Hi! How was your first day?" She asked, walking towards him and sitting on his lap.

"It's becoming better now," Severus said, pressing his lips against hers. Ana cocked a brow, waiting for him to properly answer her question and Severus smirked. "I terrified a few first students."

"Then it went great," she said, rolling her eyes. 

"One can say it went better than I anticipated," Severus admitted, waiting for Ana to say that he was unnecessary anxious in the morning and so on. But she didn't. Instead, she cupped his cheeks and kissing him, taking away all his anxiety for not being with her the whole day. When he pulled away, he gazed up at her with his eyes filled with lust, but he fought hard to ignore the sensations she gives him. He cleared his throat. "How was your day?"

Smiling at him, Ana got up from his lap and grabbed Harry's letter.

"The usual. But I had received a letter. It's from Harry," she handed him the letter and waiting impatiently for him to finish it.

Severus raised his head at her, his expression was unreadable.

"I reckon you want to go," he said, making her furrow her brows.

"Obviously. Don't you want to go? You thought you and Harry were on good terms now," Ana said.

"I _suppose_."

"Hey," Ana whispered, returning to his lap, straddling her arms around his neck. "If you don't want to go, I won't force you. I go where you go. I remember the day you came back to me after being interrogated by the Ministry of Magic, we said we'd never be apart. If you don't want to go, I'll stay here with you."

Severus watched his beloved face, discerning the honesty and purity behind her eyes. She was truly sent from heaven.

"We'll go to his wedding," he ended up saying. "As he said in the letter, it's a small ceremony, I am sure it will have no meddling people."

"Are you sure?" Ana asked, just to be sure.

"On one condition," he stated firmly.

"What is it?"

"You'll dance with me all night long," he said, barely brushing her lips.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Ana said, finally pressing their lips together.

All of a sudden, Severus pulled away panting, looking up at her confused eyes.

"Do not, I beg you, take Minerva with you to choose your dress. You remember the last time it happened and how it went."

Ana started laughing, the images of the memory flooding her mind.

"I remember you being slightly jealous because the men threw themselves at me," she said, laughing even more at his glare. "And I also remembered you saying you'd like to be the one to take me home."

Severus stared at her with a harsh expression, his body somewhat stiff. Ana presumed he wasn't appreciating the conversation, but, in fact, he was reliving the moment in his head and he was profaning himself for not grabbing her and take her as his that same night.

"Well, I ended up taking you home, after all," he said after a moment and Ana sighed in relief and chuckled at the same time. 

"Facts," she said.

"The dress was stunning, nevertheless. Revealing, but stunning. I had to fight against every fiber of my being not to ravish you that night," Severus confessed.

"Well, I still have the dress, I can dress it for you whenever you desire me to," Ana said, smirking at her lover.

"That wouldn't be the worst idea you ever had, yet, I still preferred if you keep the headmistress away from your dress shopping," Severus said.

"I promise I will," Ana said, remembering the conversation she had with Minerva before leaving for Slughorn's party. "You know she got me the dress because she wanted me to... get laid."

"WHAT?" Severus screeched and Ana started laughing out loud at his reaction.

"Calm down," Ana chuckled. "At least the dress was useful for something, it caught your attention."

"Oh, Ana," Severus pulled her chin with his index finger. "You never needed a dress to catch my attention."

"But your reaction was priceless," Ana mocked him. "I could see you fighting against yourself not to show any facial expression when I came out of my room all dressed up."

"Will you stop mocking me?"

"Never."

Ana leaned in to kiss Severus again, but a knock on the door interrupted them. It was a rushed thud, urgent even, and Ana's heart started pounding inside her chest as she felt some restlessness on the other side of the door. Gulping, Ana walked to the door and whispered to Severus " _Speaking of the devil"._

She opened the door and the headmistress was on the other side, worry splattered all over her face.

"Oh, Ana, you need to come with me to the hospital wing," she said.

"Why, is Brandon all right?" Brandon was a student that had a small incident during a charms' class and ended up in the hospital wing gagging and vomiting slugs. Nasty and disgusting.

"Yes, yes, Brandon is fine. Please come, it's another student," she said.

Ana nodded her head, somehow feeling a knot in her throat. Severus, who was already behind Ana, greeted Minerva.

"Severus, good evening. You should come too, you might be useful."

Without asking more questions, both of them followed Minerva through the cold hallways, silently wondering what had her in such a worried state. When they reached the hospital wing's doors, Ana froze in the spot as she felt something unusual in the air, something dark. 

Severus looked back at her, furrowing his brows but as Ana continued moving, he did not have a chance to ask what did she felt.

Minerva stood by a bed where a trembling boy was laying and the image haunted Ana for the next days. The boy was paler than a wall; his eyes were dark as if he had seen death itself; his breathing was quick and harsh; his heart was pounding inside his chest. He was sweating, but when Ana checked his temperature, he was cold as the Black Lake's water. Ana opened his mouth to check for any traces of poison and there was none. She checked his body for any marks of bites or wounds as the boy showed symptoms of various diseases caused by animals' bites. But there were none.

Rolling her sleeves up and clipping her hair up in a bun, Ana immediately grabbed a needle as she wanted to decrease the boy's heartbeat and sedate him. Something about his state was not right, she was well aware of it, and the weird tension hovering the air was making her restless.

As they saw the boy close his eyes and calm down into a peaceful sleep, Minerva was almost tearing down at the sight.

"Filch found him laying on the third floor like this. No one knows how he got there, and no one noticed him leaving Griffyndor's headquarters."

"Did he had any disease before?" Ana asked as she picked the boy's arm and noticed a small red dot on his skin. A tiny hole, as if he had used a needle.

"No, not that I am aware of. We already revised the medical records and he was a perfectly healthy boy," Minerva's voice trembled.

Ana's hand traced an invisible line in the air along the boy's arm as she closed her eyes, trying to feel the bloodstream in his veins. She usually does that do check any blood disease or disturbance and it had become one of her top medical tools that avoid many usual examinations. It's evasive and it's efficient.

"Can you call his friends over here, please?" Ana asked and Minerva nodded, turning her heel around and walking away at a quick pace.

"What's wrong with him?" Severus asked.

"Honestly, I had never seen anything like this... There's something wrong running through his veins but it is as if it's not even there... It's concealing from my powers... I can't actually visualize it but I know it's there," Ana said. "Whatever it is, it's not pretty and I don't think he can stay here. He has to go to St. Mungus."

Severus' expression hardened.

"Is that bad?"

Ana looked at him, a dark gleam behind her beautiful eyes. She simply nodded, gulping hard.

A minute later, Minerva had arrived with two concerned boys and a young girl.

"This is Layla, Marcus, and Victor, they are friends with Malik," Minerva said, introducing the young wizards.

"Hi," Ana said with a warm tone in her voice, carefully choosing the right words. "I am not gonna lie to you. Malik is very sick... I don't know what is wrong with him. I can't understand what happened to a healthy boy like him... I am going to transfer him to St. Mungus. But before that, I need to know, are you very close to him?"

They looked between each other and nodded their heads.

"Yeah, I mean, we're best friends since we can remember," the girl said.

"Yes, we are very close to him," another said, and the third kid just nodded his head, his eyes locked on his unconscious friend.

"Ok, good - Now, I need to ask you two questions and I need you to answer me honestly. I promise you, no one will get punished or anything. I won't let it happen. But you have to be honest, completely honest. Your friend's life might depend on that."

They looked at Ana, their full attention on her.

"Did you notice any change in his behavior? Anything at all?"

They nodded their heads.

"What do you mean?"

"Did he use any kind of drugs?" Ana asked frontally, hearing a small gasp from Minverva's worried figure.

"No!" Layla said, "He's not that type of guy! He doesn't use drugs!"

"Yeah, at least, not that we know," the boy named Victor said.

"Alright, I just needed to make sure of that. He might have ingested something he wasn't supposed to," Ana said, her mind racing with numerous hypotheses.

"Uh - there's this new girl, though," Marcus started talking, being immediately attacked by furrowed brows by the other two students. "He exchanges letter with a girl from uh, France. I don't know how he met her but they keep talking all the time and she seemed a little weird to me."

"Why?" Minerva asked.

"She kept asking things about Hogwarts and everyone," he continued.

"He didn't talk about her," Victor said.

"Yeah, he thought you might mock him... I mean, we never saw the girl, he thought that you'd say she's made up," Marcus said, his cheeks slightly red. "But, that's all."

Minerva dismissed the kids who took off immediately, Victor and Layla asking him a bunch of questions about this mysterious girl. The headmistress asked them to go through Malik's things to find the girl's letters. It might give them any clue of what happened. Anyway, Ana didn't like the student's condition, at all, and she decided to fasten his transference for St. Mungus as she knew she would not be able to treat the boy in Hogwarts.

An hour later, Severus, Ana, and Minerva watched in silence as the nurses from the hospital took Malik away and Minerva decided it was better to accompany them.

Severus looked at Ana's features and saw something in there that he hadn't seen before. She was not only worried, but the blank expression on her face revealed that she was well aware the boy could not survive whatever he had. Without sharing words or even a look, Severus rubbed Ana's shoulder in a comforting way.

"I need to go to my office. I need to see what's in his blood," she said.

"I thought you wouldn't be involved in his treatment," Severus said watching as Ana took the vial of blood she had collected from Malik's arm.

"I won't, but I don't think the doctors there will know what's going on," Ana said.

"How do you know that?" Severus asked, but as Ana gave him a look with a raised brow, Severus understood what she meant. Ana's powers went way beyond his knowledge or his imagination. Ana, herself, is not aware of its full extension and every now and then she discovers new abilities, but there's two things she always had: a good perception about the world and a six sense about things. 

As Ana spent the rest of the evening in the laboratory, analyzing Malik's blood, Severus had gone to the diner at Great Hall and brought her food since she refused to leave the damn office. It was almost one in the morning when Severus entered her laboratory again to see Ana asleep with her head on top of a bunch of papers. His annoyance for not having her in their bed had dissolved immediately as he admired how beautiful she seemed even with her hair all messed up in a bun and with dark circles under her eyes.

Walking closer to her, he tried to be as smooth as possible to wake her up.

"Ana," he rustled, tugging a strand of hair away from her face. "Love, you should come to bed."

Ana stirred and blinked several times.

"I fell asleep again, didn't I?" She asked with a hoarse voice. It's not uncommon for her to be found working late and falling asleep on top of her work. Usually, she feels tired and says to herself that she just needs to close her eyes for a minute or two, but before she's even aware of it, she drifts away completely exhausted.

"Obviously," Severus said, helping her to walk to their chambers to finally have a proper rest.

"I don't know what's wrong with his blood," Ana said all of a sudden, her brain had started to work again in the middle of their walk. "I have never seen anything like it before. I hope the doctors in St. Mungus know what it is, but I don't think they will know... I don't have a good feeling about this... And something tells me there's nothing anyone can do to save him, Severus."

"I am sorry to hear that," he muttered. "I know you are going to battle yourself with the matter over and over again for the next days... but can you at least rest decently at night? I hate to watch you work late without a proper meal in your stomach."

When they opened the door of their chambers, Ana's eyes fell on their round diner table in the kitchen. There were two mugs of hot chocolate and delicious cookies waiting for them. Severus had prepared everything before leaving to find her, knowing very well that Ana hadn't eaten anything since he brought her diner to her office.

"What would I do without you?" She asked, sitting on the opposite side of the table, smiling at Severus who took his mug in his hands.

"You'd be fine without me. I, on the other hand, would be wrecked without you," he said, taking her hand to his mouth and kissing it.

"You had lived all these years without me, Severus," Ana stated, knowing very well what his answer was going to be and smiling as she heard his words.

"I merely survived. I started living when I met you."


	4. Chapter 4

Almost three weeks had passed since Malik's condition started. Ana has been following his evolution every day, and it did not seem good to anyone. And all of them knew it was a matter of days until he succumbed to that strange disease. That was reason enough for Ana to feel gloomy after visiting the boy at the hospital and talking to his parents. She could not begin to imagine the pain his parents were going through.

And those thoughts had led her to have thoughts about her parents. Her _foster_ parents. The couple that she met as her parents her whole life and that seemed to have vanished from the earth. The truth is that she had decided to stop looking. If they did not come for her, she decided it was better to respect their decision, whatever their motives were.

"You're oddly quiet today," Alba snapped Ana from her thoughts. "Is it about the kid?"

"Yeah... I don't think he's gonna make it," Ana replied but her mind was significantly absent. "Another person appeared with the same symptoms as Malik's."

"Are the doctors aware that it might be something new?"

"I think so... it's not going to be pretty if this is something new and starts spreading. What bothers me the most is the fact that the first case that we are aware of started in Hogwarts... I mean, is it contagious? Is it a virus? A new potion? A curse? It's making me insane because I can't point out what it is exactly."

Johnny showed up just in time to hear Ana's worries.

"Honey, one person is infected. The other still doesn't have the test results. We might be worrying over nothing," Alba said.

"Over nothing? A kid is dying and no one can do a thing because no one knows what it is!"

Johnny who was quiet the whole time finally spoke up.

"Alba is right, Ana. This might be something small. Maybe it's just a rare disease. It's sad that the kid is dying but I don't think there's a reason to worry about a major outbreak. At least, not for now."

Ana sighed in defeat and the matter died there, luckily. At the end of the day, she returned to Hogwarts, directly going to the hospital wing to check how things were going. It has been a quiet year though. The only thing she had to take care of were some broken bones after quidditch games or during some flying lessons, otherwise, there were barely any injuries or diseases to take care of. After the war, the students seemed to have grown up and been more well behaved. Fortunately. The fact that the three trouble makers (aka Hermione, Harry, and Ron) were no longer studying in the school was also a key reason for that quietness.

Since everything was peaceful, Ana decided to go quickly to the town to grab her dress for Harry and Ginny's wedding which was happening the next weekend. The dress was ready and she was excited to show it to Severus since she opted for a shiny dark green dress - matching Slytherin's colors. As promised, she selected the dress all by herself - in other words, without Minerva, even though she had insisted on going with her. Ana chose something humble and not too provocative, but, obviously, she didn't want to seem too conservative, hence the slit it had from the middle of her thigh to the floor.

After putting the dress away into her wardrobe, Ana grabbed her stuff and decided it was time to meet Severus at their meeting point. They were going to have dinner in Hogsmeade that night. It was like a celebrating for them - many years ago, on that same night, Severus and Ana had dinner with Albus and Minerva, celebrating the fact that Albus had adopted Ana. It is also the same night that Ana had kissed Severus for the first time. She had crushed her lips against his and, as soon as she realized what she had done, she simply ran away. Still to this day, Severus mock her for chickening out, which often ends up with Ana remembering when he waited for her _(for hours)_ in front of her chambers' door because she had dinner with Liam and her friends from the university.

Although these memories happened at a difficult period of their lives, Ana truly missed those moments. And she cherished them with Severus, with a cup of Butterbeer in their hands every time they could.

The dinner was lovely, as always. Spending time with Severus was so addictive and it seemed like a dream. A beautiful dream none of them wanted to wake up from.

As Ana waited outside for Severus to pay the dinner, she greeted several people that passed by her.

"Good night, Ana," said a couple.

"Hi, good night!" She greeted them with her warm smile.

"Are you alone?" The woman asked.

"No. I'm waiting for Severus to come out. We just had dinner," she said with a proud gleam.

The woman eyed her thoughtfully as if she was analyzing what's in front of her. The couple worked at the Hogsmeade post office and Ana had met them a few months ago at a meeting for _wizarding world's renovation_ \- a meeting that he Ministry of Magic insists on inviting her for periodically.

"Speak. What's on your mind?" Ana said noticing the women's scrutinizing look.

"Forgive me for what I'm about to say. I never thought you and that Potions master would endure together," the woman said receiving a harsh look from the man standing by her side, but she ignored it.

"And why is that?"

"He is older than you, isn't he?"

"Yes, a couple of years. Why? Does that bother you?"

"Don't get me wrong. You're so young... so beautiful... and Snape --"

"-- is older and broody. Yeah yeah, I've heard that all before." Ana said, feeling the wrath taking over her. People are so annoying, meddling with what is none of their businesses. It's so infuriating!!! "Your life must be truly boring, otherwise you wouldn't take care of mine."

The man muffled a laugh that died in his throat when the woman looked at him annoyed.

"I didn't mean to offend you --"

"You did not. You have offended him," Ana interrupted the woman. She was really pushing her buttons.

All of a sudden, Ana felt a presence near her and she relaxed.

"Good night," Severus said to the couple and the woman blushed, greeting him back. "Is everything alright?"

The couple rushed inside the restaurant and Ana started walking without speaking to Severus and ignoring the funny looking he was sending her.

"You are the calmest and the most patient woman I have ever met. Yet, when people speak poorly about me, you turn into the devil himself," Severus said after a few moments of walking in utter silence.

"You heard?" She looked at him.

"Yes. And I have told you before - _ignore them._ "

"I can't. I can't ignore those _ass_ \--"

"-- Ana! I could not care less what they think. It is true, though, you are beautiful and young and you must be truly insane to be with someone like me." This earned him a glare from Ana. "But it is none of their business. They talk because they don't understand. Because most of them never felt this way over another person."

"But it's offensive. I hate it. I don't see you the way they do... I can't even imagine seeing you the way they do," her hand cupped his cheek and Severus' dark eyes were glistering with love. Oh, he loved her more than life itself. She had him. _Body and soul._ What he had felt for Lily was nothing compared to Ana - she was his soulmate. "You're beautiful. On the Inside and on the outside. You make me feel things that I didn't even know were possible... how can I not defend you when they offend everything that I feel for you?"

Severus remained quiet as no words were found worthy enough to be pronounced at such a moment. He simply looked at her and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her red lips.

"Besides -" she finished after being bedazzled by his lips. "You'd destroy whoever talked about me the same way."

"True, " he admitted, knowing very well she was right and they both chuckled in the middle of the street, their fingers tangled as they walked back to the castle.

"Let's go back to our chambers, love. We need to rest... after tomorrow we have a wedding to attend to." She said, smiling warmly at him as she imagined them dancing together the whole night.

"We're going back to our chambers," Severus said, pulling Ana closer to him. "But we are going to rest. _Yet_."  
  


***

**Harry and Ginny's wedding morning: 29th July 2000: Saturday, 7 A.M.**

The morning had just begun but Severus and Ana were already awakened and they were just leaving the shower after a passionate lovemaking session in the bedroom. This usually happens when Severus wakes up from a nightmare and the only thing that can honestly bring peace to his delicate soul was Ana, but she doesn't object. In fact, secretly, she feels proud that she's able to take away all his frustrations with a word, a touch, a kiss, or by making love to him. It's the one moment that makes her feel the most powerful being in the universe.

As Ana dried her body with a towel and began to get ready to start the day, Severus was leaning against the door of the bathroom, admiring the woman in front of him.

"What?" Ana asked as she discerned his stare.

"In the next summer vacations we're having a trip," he stated.

Ana smiled, wrapped the towel around her petite body, and kissed his cheek, walking to the bedroom.

"And where do you want to go?" She asked him, curious about his words.

"I have no idea. Somewhere warm, a beach maybe. Far away."

"It sounds good to me," she said, missing the touch of the sand in her feet, the salty breeze of the beach brushing her face. Her parents would take her to the beach during the summer holidays. In fact, they were the best memories she had from her childhood. "But why did you suddenly decided that?"

"You said you loved the beach and, for some reason, I imagined you relaxing, laying on a beach towel, with your _muggle bikini_ ," he admitted, masking the feelings he was getting from imagining that scenario by speaking in a harsh but unceremonious tone. 

"You were imagining me in a _bikini_?" Ana asked in an amused tone, delighted by the fact that even after three years of being together he was still crazy about her. "Severus Snape, I had never imagined you'd have such thoughts about an innocent and defenseless woman."

" _There's nothing innocent about you_ ," Severus said.

Ana suddenly froze, that sentence reminding her of a past moment she shared with Sirius Black when he was still alive. The night he had told her he nurtured feelings for her, _romantic feelings_ , but, at the same time, he was well aware he didn't stand a chance as he knew Ana and Severus were in love, even before they did not acknowledge that at the time. Now, years after losing him, Ana realized what he meant by saying he didn't want to screw Severus' life again. Sirius knew Severus had developer feelings for her and he didn't want to mess with it.

"What is it?" Severus asked, noticing her change of behavior.

He walked over her and pulled her into his arms, brushing her damp hair with his fingers and waiting until she was ready to share her thoughts with him.

"Sirius had told me those same words years ago," Ana said. "Jesus, Harry is marrying today and he doesn't have his parents nor his godfather by his side... The only blood family he has are those disgusting Dursleys..."

"I did not have the most sublime bond with Black but it is unfortunate that Harry does not have blood family with him, particularly on this day," Severus said, even though the matter was still hard for him to talk about. "But he does have the Weasleys as a family. And from now on it will be official."

"Yeah. But, you see? When Sirius and Harry met, I thought he was Harry's escape from a disconnected family, but, clearly, I was wrong," she felt her eyes stinging, threatening to betray her with tears and that was the last thing Severus wanted to see.

So, he rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes, he would have been a good godfather to a troublemaking fool as Potter, as he was one as well," he said, curling one side of his lips up as he noticed her pissed off behavior. "In fact, I also presume he'd like you to be Harry's godmother as well."

All he wanted to do was distancing me from sad memories and distract me with something else, but he never forgot that after Voldemort attacked them in the Ministry of Magic years ago and Sirius Black died, Ana had shared Sirius's love confession with everyone in the hospital wing, which included him. That had created a knot in his throat as he realized he was actually afraid that Black might have been able to steal Ana from him - it was silly because she was not his back then. Actually, he was battling himself over his feelings at the time and it was truly maddening that such confession had bothered him so much.

Ana knew exactly what Severus was referring to and she couldn't overlook the jealousy behind his endeavor to stop her from crying.

"We never actually talked about this, did we?" 

"No, and I do not think it is wise to talk about it now," Severus said, turning around to pick his suit from his wardrobe.

"Oh, but I think it is," Ana chuckled, fetching some clothes and her green dress that was preserved inside a white bag inside her wardrobe.

"You do enjoy making me jealous, do you not?"

"So, do you admit you were jealous of Sirius?" She joked and Severus sent her a glare, sighing and relaxing immediately after she planted a kiss on his chest.

"Every man around you seem to develop feelings for you. How could I not be jealous? Liam... Sirius... Myself," Ana chuckled and caressed his arms. "How did he confessed his feelings for you? Did he made you a romantic diner or anything?"

"Not at all," Ana laughed, remembering how funny the moment was, even though she felt bad for Sirius. The man deserved something better in his life rather than the fate he had. "It was actually by accident. He, _like you_ , was jealous of Liam." Severus rolled his eyes. "He simply asked too many questions about him and, _stupid as I am_ , I joked and asked him why he was so concerned about my love life. And, well, one thing led to another, he actually said he had feelings for me."

Severus hummed, trying not to show how disturbed he was.

" _Obviously_ , I did not feel the same way and he took it pretty cool. Actually, he talked about you," Severus furrowed his brows. "He was smarter than you think. He told me something that I didn't understand its meaning back then, but I do now: he knew you loved me and that I loved you and, knowing the pain he and his friends had caused you in the past, he did not want to do it all over again, so he said he wouldn't even try to win me over."

Severus remained quiet for a moment, staring down at Ana.

"Surprisingly enough, he was truly smarter than I thought," he ended up saying. 

"Yeah, it's too bad that he died, you could be great friends by now."

Severus snorted offended.

"Ok, maybe not. Anyhow, your fights were so entertaining - you looked like children when you were in the same room," Ana mocked Severus and he rolled his eyes. "Come on, you know Sirius and you acted like teenagers sometimes. I just wanted to rip my hair off when you were in the same room."

"We did argue a lot," Severus admitted. 

That is one annoying power Ana had over Severus: she was able to make him acknowledge his past mistakes and bad behaviors, even when they were hard for him to admit.

She walked over him and kissed his frustrations away in an instant, and, before she knew it, he had her pinned against the wardrobe after pulling the towel from her body. He ravished her lips with such an urgency that Ana was one step from deciding not to leave their chambers that day, but, unfortunately, they had to leave the house soon. Ana had to get dressed in random clothes, grab her dress, and travel to the Currow where she'd get ready with the rest of the women of the family. Ana had paid for hairdressing and makeup services and the people she hired would be taking care of her, Ginny, Hermione, Molly, Fleur, and Audrey, so she really couldn't arrive late.

"Severus," Ana said against his lips. "I have to get dressed."

He growled but released her after giving her one last kiss.

They rushed their morning routine so they could leave on time. Ana had a comfortable set of clothes on, but Severus had already dressed up in his black ceremonial suit. He looked absolutely stunning, wearing a white shirt and a green tie, with his hair combed properly to its place. And he smelled _so good._.. 

"Are you ready, or not?" He asked Ana as he snapped her away from her trance. "Were you not meeting the Weasleys' women to have breakfast together?"

"Yes, yes," she cleared her throat. "Are you going to be fine among the men?"

Severus had to meet Harry, Ron, Arthur, and the rest of the male family to help them with some preparations, while Ana and the women got ready. Not that he was very fond of the idea, but at least he just had to endure them for three hours, and then, he had Ana all to himself, by his side, for the rest of the ceremony.

"I have done more dangerous things in my life. I can survive among them."

Ana smiled at him and went to the fireplace, grabbing the Floo powder in her hand.

"See you in a couple of hours, then," she said. "You look handsome, I wish we had more time this morning."

" _Later_ ," Severus assured her, he was sure he was not going to resist her when he sees her in her dress. He wondered how was the dress like... The only thing he knew was that it was dark green, as the tie Ana gave him-

"Later," she smiled and agreed before disappearing into the fireplace.

Severus sighed when he felt the emptiness and silence in the room around him, grabbed the powder himself, and pronounced the location where he was going to meet the men. It was going to be a long day, he was sure of it.


	5. Chapter 5

Ana appeared in the middle of the kitchen of the Burrow and took a deep breath. She couldn't help but not smile as she realized how much she missed that welcoming and heartwarming house - the noises of the pans in the stove; the smell of food and the lavender scent air freshener that Molly loves to spray her house with; the cozy ambiance of the cluttered house. That was what a family house should feel like - no matter how luxurious it might be, if it makes you smile and miss it, it's home.

"Weren't you supposed to be helping you dad and your brothers?" Ana asked George, who was eating an apple while sitting on the couch and laughing at Molly's scolding on the upper floors. Hermione and Ginny could be heard too.

"Don't be a marplot. It's more entertaining in here," he said, getting up to greet her with a kiss in her cheek.

"I bet. I can imagine Severus boredom when he meets your brothers," Ana joked but she actually felt sorry for him. Anyhow, he was the one that offered himself to help them.

"Don't worry, I will take care of him," George said as he prepared to disapparate.

"That's what I'm worried about," Ana laughed as she started climbing up the stairs.

Knocking on Ginny's bedroom, where all the noises were coming from, Molly smiled nervously as she opened the door. Ginny had left the shower, her hair was damp and she was covered in a white "bride" robe.

"Good morning," Ana greeted, kissing Ginny in cheek and hugging her.

"Good morning. I'm glad you're here. Can you please calm down my mom? She's making me regret not running away and marrying in some kind of crazy building in Las Vegas as muggles do sometimes and showing up 8 months later pregnant."

Ana and Hermione released a laugh at Ginny's seriousness and Molly's shocked expression.

Hermione grabbed Molly by her arm and took her out of the room, convincing her to prepare breakfast before the wedding was canceled because the bride and the bridesmaid starved to death.

Ginny and Ana turned around and looked at each other with amused expressions.

"Are you ready?" Ana asked.

"I think I've been ready for years," she assured her. Giggles erupted inside the bedroom, as they both knew how hard it has been for Harry to pop the question. After Hermione gave him hundreds of lectures about the future, about having a family, he finally was convinced that, as they were meant to be together, Ginny deserved to be taken properly as a wife. Ana knew what Harry's worries were and why he took years to ask her hand - his everlasting disrupted family heritage, the fact that everyone blood-related to him that he loved had died because of him - but, eventually he came to turns that it was not his fault and that Ginny was well aware of it when she decided she wanted to spend the rest of her life making him happy. Harry loves Ginny, he was just afraid that signing a paper meant she was vulnerable and exposed to danger as he lived his whole life.

Fortunately, he grew some balls during a vacation in Thailand.

"Thank you, Ana. You've always supported our relationship and you showed me how strong love can be," Ginny said, referring to Severus and her relationship. That moment, Hermione entered the bedroom, quickly shutting the door behind her. "And thank you, Hermione, for being so patient about me and Harry and for giving me strength and telling me to bide my time."

Hermione walked closer and hugged her.

"As far as I'm concerned, you two were meant to be together, since the beginning."

"What about you and my dunderhead brother?"

Hermione laughed nervously.

"What about it?"

"Is he going to ask you to marry him or is he that daft?" Ginny asked, laughing at her crimson cheeks.

"He is that daft," she gritted her teeth.

Ana and Ginny looked at each other and shrugged, not knowing the reason for her reaction.

"The empty-headed m-man said that the didn't understand all this fancy ceremony for one simple night! That the wedding holds no meaning to him," Hermione sat down frustrated, crossing her arms and looking out the window, nodding her head. In a couple of hours, the men would be right outside, lifting up the tent as they did many years ago for William and Fleur's wedding. Right at that moment, they must be drinking butterbeer in a local pub and talking about whatever they were supposed to be talking about. It was supposed to be a relaxing moment for the men as the women had theirs.

"Have you ever told him you wanted to get married?" Ana asked and Hermione nodded her head. "Maybe you should. Honey, if you don't share your thoughts and your dreams with him, there's no way on Earth he can read your mind..."

"Yeah, especially my brother Ron," Ginny said, muffling a laugh.

Hermione looked at the two of them and snorted.

"You talk like that because your men are romantic and care about your aspirations and - and your needs. I bet that Severus will eventually ask you to marry him," Hermione said, making Ana widen her eyes.

"We actually never talked about marriage. And I never thought about that until this moment," Ana admitted. "I mean, we're practically married... You know... Living together..."

Ginny looked at Ana and thought her reaction a little too calm.

"Do you not want to get married?"

"Uh, if the time is right and he asks the question, I would never say no, obviously. But if he doesn't ask it, I don't mind... I'm happy already," Ana said, carefully taking her dress off the bag. "I am living with the love of my life. No paper signed is going to change that."

Hermione snorted at the same time Ginny did.

"You're too boring with all your _love aura_ ," Hermione said and Ana laughed.

"You, on the other hand, if you want Ron to marry you, I think you're going to be the one asking, honey," Ana said.

Molly had yelled from downstairs at them because breakfast was ready.

"The hell I am going to ask him!" She protested. "Ron - uh - Ron has to man up and assume his responsibilities as one."

Ana and Ginny giggled at her reaction and walked downstairs mocking her. The conversation flowed calmly for the rest of the meal, but Ginny was slightly nervous to eat properly, even against her mother's advice to stuff herself as much as she could.

"I don't think I could possibly be any happier than I am this moment, you know?" Ginny admitted with a smile plastered across her face.

"You will be, honey," Molly assured her. "This is just the beginning. Trust me."

Ginny had listened to her mother and her father's love story over and over again, but that day, their story had another completely different meaning for her. It changed from being a boring old story to a goal love story.

That moment, Carlos and Georgiana knocked on the front door of the Burrow. They were the ones Ana hired to take good care of the women's hair and makeup, and they had brought their tools and helpers to get things done faster.

Fleur must be arriving soon enough as she and Will had arrived from vacations in Brasil and they still had to get some rest and unpack their stuff before the wedding. In the meantime, Ginny was the first to be prepared, next was Molly and then Hermione and Ana. Fleur arrived and she was next and by the time they were all finished, they had almost one hour and a half for the wedding.

The men had arrived to the Currow after the butterbeer session and they were putting the wedding tent back together, as beautiful as it was years ago.

Severus had stayed quiet for the whole time, but, oddly, Harry was quiet too. He was nervous. Very nervous. Not because he was afraid or because he was having cold feet, but because he wanted everything to be as perfect as Ginny was. He was nervous because he didn't want to faint when he sees her in her wedding dress. Ginny was becoming his wife in a few hours and he couldn't be happier but he also felt the weight of the responsibility. Luckily enough, he had a mother and a father-in-law that truly loved him and trusted him with their daughter, so he didn't have to worry about that. Ron also started accepting their relationship (which was hard at first, but with Hermione's help, he was _cool_ about it) and when Harry asked her to marry Ginny, he could swear he saw a tear strolling down Ron's cheeks.

"Bloody hell, Harry, why couldn't you just elope?" Ron complained as he helped the men setting up the tent.

Harry looked around to make sure no one listened. The only person close enough to hear them was Severus, but Harry was sure he was not even there as he barely opened his mouth the whole morning.

"Because your mother would kill me," Harry replied honestly. "And Ginny."

Even though Severus didn't talk more than five words that morning, he was paying attention to everything around him. All the commotion of wedding preparation, the anxiety, and happiness, the family and the friends fathered together into making a simple day that special. In his mind, he remembered all those years alone, when his only trusted person was Dumbledore. And that day, he was in the middle of a family - a happy family, as all families should be - and, part of him, was glad that Ana had forced him to socialize with those people as they were truly entertaining and lovely, but, the other part, was battling against the lonely bat he was used to be.

Harry and Ron looked at each other, tired and annoyed by the preparations.

When they finished lifting up the tent, they had to make sure the tables were set and the lights were on, but Harry simply sat on the floor, trying to get a five minutes rest.

"Come now, Harry, this is the happiest day of your life!!!" Arthur said with a happy expression. "After this, it's all downhill."

"Dad!" Ron huffed.

Severus smirked slightly at the interaction but tried not to show it. Showing emotions in public, if not around Ana, was still hard for him. Impossible even. Ana had tried to understand why did he had to continue with the harsh mask, but she almost gave up. _Almost_.

Arthur held a hand for Harry to grab it and get up.

"You know, Harry, I barely knew your parents, but I'm sure that if they were here today, they'd be so proud. I know I am proud of you, son."

"Thank you, Sir," Harry said. "I think I gonna take a shower and get ready."

"You do that, Harry. We're just finishing this and we'll follow you."

Harry started walking away, and he felt the pained look in Ron's eyes staring at him. He didn't want to be there, he didn't want to work anymore, so he pleaded Harry through his brown eyes.

"Ron, can you come with me?" He asked, almost laughing at Ron's happy expression. "I need your help."

"Bloody hell, I can help you!" He immediately said, rushing behind Harry.

"Hang on-do you have the ring?" Harry asked, stopping his tracks

Ron halted and his expression hardened all of a sudden. "Ring? What ring? I thought you had it?"

Harry glared at him, the blood from his face running away from him. "Ron! You're the best man, you're supposed to keep them safe! Please, tell me your joking."

Ron started laughing and patted Harry's back before walking home.

"I have them in my parent's bedroom, in my mom's jewelry box. Apparently, they didn't trust me with them."

Harry muttered under his breath, "I wonder why."  
  


***  
  


Molly and Fleur were already all dress up and were downstairs waiting for the rest of the girls. Ana and Hermione were making sure everything was in place and that Ginny didn't ruin her makeup by crying (unlike Molly who had to grab a couple of concealers and stuff to rearrange her makeup twice already).

When ginny turned around after placing the veil on her head, Ana and Hermione smiled proudly.

"You look stunning," Ana said.

"Do you think Harry will like it?"

"Duh, obviously!" Hermione said immediately. "You are so beautiful."

"Thank you... I think it's time to go down before my mum has a heart attack."

"Yeah, you're right," Hermione said, grabbing the bride's bouquet of flowers and handing it to Ginny. "Now, you're a bride."

Soon after they were retouching Molly's makeup as she began to cry again when her daughter showed up all in white in her kitchen. She couldn't believe her baby girl was getting married, with a good and brave man. A knock on the door interrupted the laughs in the kitchen and as Arthur walked in, he couldn't help but also shed a tear at his lovely girl. He whispered several lovely words in her ear as he hugged her and Fleur had to intervene before she ruined her makeup too.

The people in the kitchen left the house as it was time to start the wedding. Minerva was the one that would accompany Harry to the altar, as he didn't have anyone else more motherly to him than Minerva - and Molly, of course. But Ginny and Arthur were alone in the kitchen, waiting for the right time to go out. Harry was already waiting for her in front of everyone and he became even more nervous when the first music started at Ana, Hermione, Fleur and Molly walked to his side.

"How is she?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Can't wait to be Mrs. Potter," she smirked, making Harry relax a little.

Ana greeted Harry, but her eyes remained on Severus who was sitting in the front row of chairs, staring at her, admiring her beautiful green dress. Severus was taking in every inch of her body that was hugged in the right places by the thin but silky fabric of that beautiful dress. Even if a bomb had fallen right in front of his feet, he wouldn't even acknowledge it as he was being sucked into a dimension where Ana was everything he could see. All he wanted to do was grabbing that woman and elope, as the red-haired brat was asking Potter. Ana was all that mattered to him, she was his life, she was everything.

When the wedding march was heard, Ana snapped her head at the entrance and cleared her throat, trying to recompose herself after feeling every single part of Severus' emotions of the moment. Ginny was smiling as her father gave her away and asked Harry to take care of his little girl.

Severus took a look at the bride and at Harry's happiness and he couldn't help but feel happy for them. As despicable as his father was, Harry had proven to have his mother's heart and courage, even though Severus didn't admit it out loud. Hence, he wanted the boy to be happy, they all needed to be happy after such tragic years that were supposed to stay behind.

As the Minister spoke, Severus listened, but his attention was more focused on Ana than on anything else. The same went for Harry and Ginny. Hermione and Ron. Molly and Arthur. That was all that was felt that day - love.  
  
  
  


***  
  
  
  


When Ginny and Harry were finally and officially a married couple, the banquet started for Ron's relief. Ana was finally able to join her beloved and that moment, Severus seems to have forgotten they were not alone as he pulled Ana by her waist and gave her a breathtaking kiss that got some people staring with wide eyes and open mouths. Someone even took a picture and that's when they broke apart.

"What was that for?" Ana asked him, feeling her cheeks red.

"You look beautiful," he said, getting himself back together.

"Do you like the dress? It's not so revealing as the golden one Minerva bought me," she teased him.

"Oh, I do fancy the dress, however..." he approached her ear and whispered. "I will enjoy later what is concealed underneath."

Ana gasped a little but had to conceal her aroused expression as people went by greeting her. It was a small party, indeed, but there were still people she didn't know, nor Severus. There were also some security guards here and there, guarding the wedding party. It was Harry Potter's wedding - the boy who lived. There were journalists and all kinds of curious people attempting to sneak in. It was actually Severus' idea, to give them a major level of protection. Even after all these years, Severus still wanted to protect him, in memory of his mother. But Ana also knew he had grown to truly care for Harry.

When Ana finished greeting people, she had to (discreetly) take Severus's hand away from her bottom as he couldn't help himself but allow his hand to wander her body.

"Severus, honey, try to hold your horses for a couple of hours today," she said between her smile.

"I can't help it. It feels so soft, it feels like touching your skin..." Severus said in a calm and low tone.

"Well, this fabric is basically the only thing between your hand and my skin," Ana said, smirking. "I couldn't wear undergarments under it, so..."

"WHAT?" He asked.

"Ana, come on, let's take a picture just the girls!!!" Hermione called for Ana and stole her from Severus's arms.

In the meantime, Harry had gone through all the pictures, hugs, and cries, and he was now admiring the beauty of the atmosphere around him. Everything was perfect. Absolutely and utterly beautiful. His eyes wandered the tent, the lights glittering around the room, illuminating everything since the sun had started to set. Ginny was taking pictures with her _girlfriends_ and his friends were drinking shots at the bar. Arthur was dancing with his Molly, both of them with proud smiles in their faces. And that's when his eyes landed on Severus. He was staring at Ana, eyes shining with love, something he never imagined seeing. He decided to approach him, not knowing exactly what to say.

Severus acknowledge his presence and looked at him, holding a hand for Harry, who took it with no hesitation.

"Congratulations, Potter," Severus said nonchalantly, even though he curled his lips up in a half-smile.

"Thank you, Sir," Harry said, receiving a glare from Severus. "- Uh, I mean, Severus."

Severus hummed, more appeased by hearing his name with no formalities. They were no longer professor-student, so there was no need for that, as long as Harry respects him (and the other way around).

"Thank you for being here," Harry said. "It means a lot."

"You shall thank Ana. She's the one that has been taking me out to the world," he said, not knowing why he was sharing those things with a boy he spent years hating-loving.

"She makes miracles," Harry joked, hoping not to poke the beast too much.

Severus sighed.

"I had actually started to believe in that. Everything she touches - it blooms."

A moment of silence fell upon them.

"How is she?" Harry asked. "You know - considering everything that happened, and Dumbledore...."

"Coping. Her own way." Severus said.

"Hiding behind that happy image that she transmits everywhere she goes," Harry said, which made Severus look at him, not knowing how the kid had grown up into a wise man.

"Precisely," Severus admitted. "She believes I don't apprehend she's still in pain. Wondering what happened to her parents."

"Do you know what happened?" Harry inquired politely.

"I wish I did."

Ana had sneaked away from the pictures area, back to her prized lover side. Harry greeted Ana for the first time that evening and told her how beautiful she looked.

"Thank you. You look handsome yourself," she said. "But I think your wife needs to be rescued."

They all looked at Ginny, drowning in a glass of wine as she heard the endless war-stories of her very old great uncle. Harry chuckled and immediately took off, leaving them alone once again.

"So, bored to death yet?" Ana asked.

"Surprisingly, no. The Weasleys are actually entertaining. Their innocent ignorance amuses me," Severus said, pulling her with him to the dancefloor.

"Huh, what are you doing?"

Severus didn't answer. His left hand slid around her waist and rested on her back. His right hand grabbed her right hand and he started swaying with her at the sound of the lovely ballad. And they danced together for hours. No one even dared to steal Ana for a dance. No one dared to interrupt them as they were in their own world.

Nothing else mattered that night.

They ate, drank, heard the speeches of Molly and Arthur and Minerva, Ron also spoke after Hermione insisted for hours. Everyone had the time of their lives, but Ana and Severus were so into each other, that nothing mattered. They were happy, and they were together. And being at the wedding of Harry Potter meant they had won.


	6. Chapter 6

  
**Two months after Harry & Ginny's wedding**

**(Warning:** some mature content at the end. Tried not to be too explicit - _tried :)_ **)**

"Ana, it's 3 A.M.! Were you working late again?" Severus' gruff voice echoed through their silent chambers. Ana was trying to be as quiet as possible as she walked in, waking up Severus being the last thing she wanted. However, Severus can never sleep if she works late, which has been happening a lot for the past couple of weeks.

Apparently, Malik, the poor kid that died a month ago, was the first of a strange disease that has been spreading in silence. It starts as a common headache and nausea, something bearable. Then the infected start coughing and throwing up every time they eat something. Then they start coughing blood and that's when everything else starts to fail.

At the moment, there were hundreds of infected in St. Mungus. They actually created a special area for those who are infected and those who might be infected. But it seems like it doesn't spread human-to-human, which was good, but, on the other hand, no doctor, healer, investigator, potion master, or any other professional was aware of its means of propagation, nor its origin. It was completely new and it was killing people slowly.

Ana, _obviously_ , had volunteered along with her investigation team to help the search for a cure, but, as she continues to go back to her chambers sad and devastated, they had no success.

She looked at Severus, who was sitting on the couch, waiting for her -as usual.

"I told you not to wait for me when I arrive late, Sev," he could feel the tiredness behind her voice.

Severus was proud of Ana and how far she had achieved, but he was watching her every day working hard and late, only to come back home with her head down - and that broke his heart.

She sat on the couch and sank into the cushion, exhaling deeply.

"I hate to see you like this," Severus said. "You barely sleep, barely eat a proper meal... it's no good for you."

"I feel that I have to help them, Sev... it's complicated --"

"Hey, I understand you. I do." Severus interrupted her and grabbed her hands. "But how can you help if you get sick and walk around tired all the time? You have to get some proper rest and eat your meals, Ana. I can bet that your diner was either a piece of fruit or a sandwich."

The guilty look on Ana's face said it all. And she hates it when he's right.

"You're right... I'll try to take care," she said.

"Really?" He asked with his deep velvety voice.

"Yes. In fact, tomorrow I will have diner with you. We can go somewhere nice and then come back to the chambers and you can make me relax. How does that sound?"

"Ana, you know this is not about you not being hom--"

"-- I know. I know... I just need you, that's all... I miss you."

"Me too."

***

"Good morning," Ana said as she walked into the laboratory.

Alba and Johnny were already there, as usual, and they were performing a few tests on a new concept of medicine for the new disease. They were investigating the applicability of remarkable herbs on the blood cells, but not even the most advanced potions were able to do anything, not even help the body to fight against that unknown condition on its own. It seemed like that disease's aim was life itself...

A pile of parchment has been growing with non-viable paths, and only a few were on the viable paths. Frequently, the ones that had good results at first, were rejected after the second cycle of tests, which was disappointing. Yet, Ana would enter that laboratory with her natural good spirit in an endeavor to encourage everyone to cheer up. It usually works, but that morning was different. Alba had teary eyes, and she barely spoke all morning. 

Apparently, Alba's grandmother had caught that disease, and Alba was desperate because she was parishing a little bit every day and there was nothing she could do. She lived alone with her grandmother, who had been the replacement of her own mother that died when she was born - which meant that if the woman died, Alba would be all alone, with no known family. Ana knew what it was like to feel you have no one left, but you can always find the light even in the darkest places - that was one of the many nice things she had learned from Albus.

"Honey, don't you want to go home today? Relax, go visit your grandmother..." Ana told Alba after she had another outburst and wept. She was holding a cup of warm tea in her hand, and she was shaking. "It's ok, you can go."

After a long period of time trying to calm her down, Alba ended up taking the advice and went to her grandmother's bedside, who ended up dying at the weekend. 

***

And that's how things went for a protracted period of time. Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. And before they knew it, two months had passed, and a vast number of people perished because of the disease. All over the world, there were wizards struggling to find out what it was - and even the Muggles had started noticing the disease and joined the fight. But there was nothing they could do as it was discovered that the disease was, in fact, caused by a potion. An unknown and very stalwart potion. Something designed for sheer evil.

That was believably the greatest discovery so far. And after two months, more than 2/3 of the infected were dead. No one knows how could one single potion spread such disease. It was either by physical contact, corporal fluids or maybe it was through the air. They didn't know who was more susceptible to have the disease and, because of that, people started staying at home; the pubs were closed because they had no clients; the streets were less and less populated; Hogwarts became silent and colder as the students barely socialized, just in case. 

Ana and her team have been working for months in the investigation and several attempts of cure have been developed. Secretly, Ana, Alba, and Johnny have been using the findings of the Angel's Trumpet's herb to see if there's any property that might help them in fighting the disease, but since they are surrounded by other teams most of the time, they cannot show that they had such a rare herb in their possession. If, and that was a big if, they achieve anything worthy of being shared with the rest of the world, they would gladly do it, but, until then, they would keep it as a secret, as they have been doing even before that disease appeared.

On the other hand, Severus has been complaining about the students. If they looked terrified of him during the classes before, they looked even more terrified because of the disease and they barely speak in the classes. He's becoming more grumpy every day as he missed being with Ana most of the time. Minerva had given her a license to spend more time at the laboratory and ana had instructed the other healers to continue her job in the school. When she's not at the laboratory, she's in her own office, working in Angel's Trumpet and discovering more things about it.

"Ana?" Severus knocked at her office door but didn't wait for an answer. He didn't know where she was anymore. Either she was at the laboratory or in her office, but it was hard to keep up with her.

"Come on in," she said, not taking her eyes from the experiment she was making.

"I brought you dinner," he said, placing several things on top of her desk and unfolding the steamy pan.

"Thank you, you're an angel," Ana said, taking a few notes on a notebook and then, at last, looking at Severus. She noticed the gloomy appearance on his face and she knew he was suffering from her constant absence. Part of her reasons for being working all the time is because she felt like she could be able to solve that enigma. Without really knowing why and how she also felt that the disease was her destiny. They were connected for some reason. She didn't know what was that reason, but the most important thing she desired was to make sure Severus was safe from it. She couldn't afford to lose him, or anyone dear to her. So, she dedicated herself to that investigation.

What she didn't expect was the effect it had on Severus.

She was well aware he missed her. _Damn_ , she missed him too. She craved his touch.

But that moment, when she saw the look on his face, she couldn't continue working. She just couldn't let him go back to their chambers alone again.

When he was about to leave the office, Ana put down her quill.

"Severus," she said softly.

"Love?" Severus turned around.

"Why don't you stay with me?"

"I do not mean to disturb you," he admitted, furrowing his brows as he saw Ana taking off her white gown and walking over him.

"What if I want you to disturb me?"

The tension in that room had risen all of a sudden. Severus' heart started pounding more rapidly as Ana's scent filled his nostrils when she approached him and started caressing his arms. Her smooth hand found his cheek and stroked it several times while she looked at him with a lovely and passionate gleam. It warmed him up all of a sudden, knowing that, even though they had barely spent any time together for the last couple of weeks, she still looks at him in the same way she always had: with love and desire.

"I'm sorry for being away all the time," she started saying. "I know you miss me. I know that because I miss you."

"I cannot help it, Ana," Severus muttered, trying to keep his hard mask on, while his whole body trembled under that woman's touch. "You are the most important part of my life."

"I know," she replied, resting her head against his heart, smiling when she heard his quick heartbeat.

"But I understand your need to help. I understand because that is who you are, and that is why I am so in love with you," he embraced her in his arms and kissed her dark hair, inhaling the sweet cocoa smell of her shampoo.

"I promise you when this is over, I'll make it up to you," Ana said, looking up to him. 

Severus raised his brow at her words, his mind playing tricks on him and making him envision every way she might make up to him. Ana smirked slightly as she knew exactly what he was thinking about because she was thinking about the same thing. In fact, she might just show him a preview of what she intended to do.

At that moment, Severus heard a noise from the door and realized Ana had just locked it with her mind. Her hand pulled him to her by his neck and she kissed him passionately, both of them giving in to the love between them and forgetting about the food on the desk, cooling down.

At the same time Ana kissed Severus, her little hands wandered down his back, feeling the fabric of his dark green robes. That's one thing that made ana realize how much Severus had changed his dark heart: he started wearing less black robes. Not that she didn't love them. No, she actually found his dark robes pretty sensual on him, but she's happy that the color of his clothes stopped mirroring the color of his heart. Another good thing about his new robes: there were fewer buttons and they were less complicated to take off. 

Before freeing him from his clothes, Ana made sure to feel every inch of him, including the core of his arousal. Severus groaned and buried his face in her neck as he felt the built-up arousal that has been plaguing him for the last week in which he barely even saw his beloved. 

Without waiting, Ana backed him up against the wall, unbuttoning his robes and his white shirt, exposing his pale torso, where she could lazily trail kisses in a downwards path, bitting and sucking his skin at the spots she knew he liked. Kissing him lower and lower, she kneeled in front of him and looked up through her lashes while she unzipped his pants. Severus released a sigh as he felt burning inside, anticipating her sweet warm mouth around him.

Ana didn't wait too long when she finally released him from any set of bottom clothes, including his undergarments, and as soon as she gave him what he was waiting for, she elicited a raw moan from that lovely man. Severus shuddered and moaned, closing his eyes and leaning the back of his head against the wall. His lips were parted and he was panting as if he needed more air into his lungs.

That's all she wanted from that moment, to hear him having the pleasure only she could give him. No other person was able to be that close to Severus. He didn't even allow people to be close to him, let alone, knowing him fully, even in the most overwhelming moments. And Ana was able to do it without even trying too hard. She gave him sexual pleasure, but, at the same time, she gave him so much more: love. Intimate, raw, and honest love.

"What did I do to deserve you?" He muttered as Ana kept giving him a blissful evening with her own mouth.

Ana smiled as she knew he wouldn't be able to hold himself much longer, and that's exactly what she wanted. She wanted him to be free of his frustrations and let go. But when she felt his two arms pulling her up, all she saw in his eyes was pure passion and lust. He looked at her as if she was the last piece of meat on the planet; as if she was the air he needed to breathe. She was not wrong.

He needed her. More than she was able to comprehend.

"Why did you stop me?" She asked him innocently.

"Because that is not how I imagined this night to end."

"And how did you imagined it?"

Severus pulled her to a kiss and started guiding her to her desk. Her she felt her ass hit the wooden table, she sat on it and allowed Severus to set his body between her legs.

"I need to feel you. All of you," Severus whispered between kisses, as his hands worked to get her out of her pants.

Ana wanted to feel him too. In fact, that's all she could dream about. When she fell asleep on top of her laboratory desk, she'd dream about him. Random things: reading with him; having dinner with him; having sex with him in the same desk her ass was on.

When Severus was finally able to position himself at her entrance, he looked at her in the eyes, confirming she was ready for him. When he saw the anticipation in her eyes, he knew none of them could wait any longer and made her cry out with pleasure. The feeling for both of them was indescribable; he'd never felt anything so wonderful as her walls welcoming him as he took what he wanted from her and gave her what she needed.

Spurred on by her pleasure and his own building climax, Severus gripped tighter on her hips and increased his pace. That feeling was driving him over the edge again, but he had no intention of stopping again. And as Ana desperately and blissfully moaned his name and buried her head on his neck, trails of burning pleasure erupted throughout his body and he finally achieved his own climax.

Without speaking, they simply remained clutching to each other, panting and moaning lowly as their orgasm wore off. Severus looked down at his beloved and saw how exhausted she was, but at the same time, he saw the contentment look on her face, her cheeks red and her lovely hair disheveled. A sudden urge to kiss her passionately had risen and he couldn't help it.

Ana moaned in his mouth, as she felt her body wakening up again for him. She pulled away, needing air, but Severus pulled her to him again, kissing her softly this time.

Eventually, they had to break the kiss for air, and they simply leaned their foreheads against each other. Their noses were barely touching and their eyes were locked into each other.

It might seem that was the end of their blissful evening, but it was not. They spent the rest of the night tangled in each other's arms after getting back to their chambers. Severus made sure Ana ate her meal, but then, he made up for the nights alone.


	7. Chapter 7

As the days went on, and the disease caused by that potion continued spreading, things were getting harder to deal with. Everything looked just like when Voldemort was still alive and terrorizing people - sad, dark, and empty.

Luckily, Ana and her coworkers had achieved some great results by testing the Devil's draught, but they still had a long way to go before showing it to the world. There's not much they could do, really. They have been working practically all the time on the cure for the disease and some days they just go home completely disappointed with themselves.

Alba's grandmother's death took a toll on the girl, but Ana has been a great support for her. She even went out with her one night, to grab a drink and try to help her escape the reality of what's happening all around. It was also good for Ana, who needed an escape from the laboratory from time to time. Of course, she'd rather spend all the free time she had with Severus, but he understood why she needed to be with Alba.

"How's everything going on between you and Severus?" Alba asked after a couple of glasses of Whiskey. "I mean, we're only having a few hours of rest."

"It's fine, he's a little frustrated because I work on the laboratory all the time and when I'm at Hogwarts, I go to my office, but he understands."

"You're a lucky woman, Ana," she muttered. "I know I was a little skeptical at first, you know - about you and Severus. But I think I understand it now and I do envy you both."

"I'm sure that you'll find someone to love too," Ana said. "You're a good person, Alba."

"I wish you were right. I really do."

"Severus is completely different from everyone else that I know. He understands me at a level that even I can't understand, you know?" Ana continued talking about her and Severus' relationship, telling her how they met and how they realized they were in love. Alba laughed a couple of times when Ana told her about their first kiss and Slughorn's party. It was nice to share those stories with someone else who she trusted and Alba had proven to be a trustworthy person. Ana felt that around her. On the other hand, Johnny, the usually nice guy that worked with them, had been acting slightly odd. Like there was something wrong about him. Sometimes he looks like the old Johnny, and other moments, he simply turns into someone else.

Lately, he has been making improper comments. At first, they made her laugh because Johnny has always been a funny person and he likes to hear people laughing. And, considering the awful time they were living, who would say no to a good laugh? But then, his comments started being more frequent and more incisive. He was acting really strange, and Alba was also aware of those alterations of behavior.

For the rest of the week, Alba and Ana had pushed Johnny away in the most discreet way - maybe he just needed time to reflect on what he was doing, or maybe he'd understand he was making them feel uncomfortable. And they decided that if that wasn't enough for him to back off, they'd talk about it, just the three of them and try to solve it once and for all.

They thought nothing of it, as Johnny wasn't the only person acting so oddly since that disease appeared. Everyone else was acting so out of themselves, even Ana and Alba themselves felt a change in them. It felt like everything was different. Sometimes it felt like it was even worse than when Voldemort was spreading the terror all over the Earth. Another thing that probably justified Johnny's change of behavior was the fact that he and his beautiful girlfriend had split up. During a casual conversation in the laboratory, Alba had asked him about her and he confessed they broke up a few weeks ago. After that workday, they went out the three of them, to have a drink and let their frustrations all out.

With Alba's grandmother's death and Johnny's break up, Ana was the only person that had her life intact since the beginning of that illness, and she was the one that had to support her friends in order to get the work done every day.  
  


***  
  
  
  


Not a lot was going on during the period Ana was investigating the disease. It spread a little every day, and they still haven't achieved any conclusion.

Fortunately for Ana, Severus had prepared something for her birthday, just for the two of them. They would spend the weekend away together: first, he'd take her out for diner and they would spend the night at a hotel outside London. He'd wait for her in the laboratory she was working in, as he did every time they had something scheduled together, and they would leave immediately. He had a lot of things planned for her, including a small boat trip, where they would spend the Saturday night in the river; the next day, they would go to a Muggle museum that he knew Ana loved and wanted so badly to visit. Then, he intended to take her to a small cozy hotel, away from the big cities and the noise, and, especially, away from the tragic events that have been happening every day for the past months. Severus wanted her to forget the rest of the world and focus on herself and on him, as they used to do before. And he surely missed being alone with her, as if nothing else mattered.

As he waited for her, he remembered the time they spent together healing, in their home. They wouldn't even leave the bed unless they had to use the bathroom or eat. The clothes they wore were nothing else but their skins, pressed against each other, and the only thing that mattered was what was inside the four walls.

Now, he wakes up to an empty bed and an occasional small note saying how much she loves him and how much she is sorry for being absent. And, at night, he goes back to an empty and cold bed because Ana would either be in the investigation laboratory or in her office.

For a whole weekend, he intended that to make her forget everything.

"Hi," Ana said with her cheerful tired voice when she laid eyes on him.

Severus stood up and kissed her cheek.

"Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes, let me just say goodbye to the guys," she said, turning around to get her jacket and her purse.

Alba approached her and whispered something in her ear that made her blush instantly. Severus raised his brow when Ana started laughing and gave a small push against Alba's arm.

Then, she said goodbye to Johnny, who's eyes lingered on Severus for the briefest of the moment, and then landed on Ana. A soft smile appeared on his face and he walked over to grab Ana by her shoulders and pulled her to a hug. Then, slowly and very oddly, he gave her a kiss on her cheek and wished her a good weekend and a good birthday with Severus.

Ana looked at Alba by the corner of her eyes as she left the laboratory and Alba had the same shocked look on her face. Severus, on the other hand, clenched his fist while the scene unfolded in front of him, but he was able to keep his rage inside. That was _his Ana_ , and the way Johnny had touched her was nothing but innocent. He knew that. The worst part was that while Ana turned her back on him and they got ready to leave, Severus turned his head to look at the guy and noticed a wicked smirk on Johnny's face that provoked some chills down his spine.

Was he after his beloved? Did he make any advance towards her and she hasn't shared it with him? Or was she as surprised as he was? 

He had met his girlfriend before, and she was indeed beautiful as Ana described. But she also had told him they broke up, and perhaps Ana was the next on his list. He was after her, and Severus was sure of that by now.

"Sev, honey, are you alright?" Ana's voice snapped him out of his trance as they were supposed to disapparate to wherever Severus was taking her.

Severus turned his head at her and nodded, using his wand to disapparate without sharing any word.

Ana wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what was going on in his mind and why he was so upset. But she decided to give him time to find the right way to express himself. She uses to do that until he is ready to share what's troubling his mind.

He took her to a fancy restaurant, and since people have been avoiding going out of their houses, it was a serene night, with only a few people going in and out of the restaurant.

When they took a seat at the reserved table, Ana placed her hand on top of Severus and, finally, made him look at her. He didn't speak or looked at her during their small trip, but Ana was slightly frustrated by his silent treatment, especially when he had this whole weekend planned for them.

"What is it?" She pressed gently, offering a small smile.

Severus swallowed hard. He knew that Ana was perfectly aware of what happened in the laboratory, but, as she urged him multiple times before, he has to share those feelings with her, even when he knows it might be foolish of him or that it might hurt her. The truth is always the right path, no matter how painful it might be.

"Things have been taken from me before..." It was hard for him to admit and to allow himself to be that vulnerable, especially around her. He's always afraid that someone's out to hurt him, even Ana - even though he knew that she'd never hurt him. He was always on guard and Ana knew it must be exhausting for him.

"Hey," she said softly, kissing his hand. "I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

Severus looked at her, a bit unsure.

"I love you, you know that, right?"

"I know," he sighed at last. "And I love you too. So very much."

"Good," she smiled faintly. "Now, what did you plan on doing to me this weekend?"

A small smirked appeared on Severus' face - a smirk that Ana knew too well.

"You will have to wait, love. I have a lot planned for you. You won't forget it anytime soon."


	8. Chapter 8

**(NOTE: I'm sorry for being absent. Things have been crazy lately... But here is another chapter! I will try to update my stories more often, I promise. WARNING: mature content ahead. Consider yourself warned... I hope you're safe and healthy!).**

The smell of pancakes with honey was lingering through the small apartment Severus had booked for the night. The morning sun was breaking through the gaps in the grey curtains that had yet to be drawn. 

Ana woke up gently, rubbing her eyes. She was only wearing one of Severus' shirt, his perfume still making her smile warmly, but as she remembered the previous night they had spent together, her smile grew wider, and all she wanted to do was to scream to the world about how good he makes her feel.

The night before they had arrived at the apartment after the marvelous diner they had together - A table for two, near the window, so they could see the blissful night view; an aromatic candle burning an intense lavender smell; their fingers tangled on top of the table. They opened up their hearts about the actual situation they were living in, about the disease, about their worries, about their relationship. Even though they were exhausted and disappointed about the little free-time they spent together for the past couple of months, their love was the same, if not, even stronger. It seemed as if nothing could tear them apart, and they were more than grateful for such a blessing.

After the diner, he showed her the small apartment bedroom and the bathtub filled with foam and candles all around, waiting for them. He had undressed her slowly, passionately admiring her smooth skin and holding his urges to ravish his woman, and then he guided her to the bathtub, where they enjoyed a long and warm bath together. Between kisses and classic music playing in the background, Ana almost fell asleep with her head on top of Severus' chest, after he had massaged her shoulders.

After some moments, Severus decided to let her sleep peacefully, but Ana had other things in her mind, as she dried her and Severus' body with a soft cotton towel and guided him to the bedroom, where she ended up giving him a massage. A passionate, intense, and erotic massage that Severus would, _surely_ , never forget.

Ana smiled as the images played in her mind, and she got out of the bed, walking immediately over to the small kitchen where Severus was cooking the heavenly smelling pancakes. Pitching against the door frame, Ana took a moment to admire how carefree and happy Severus was looking - something that, unfortunately, she hasn't been able to see over the last months. Luckily, for her, Severus knew she had to help and he was patient. _Very patient._

"Good morning," Ana said as she hugged Severus from behind and nestled her cheek into his back.

Severus immediately turned around and gave her a passionate kiss that left her dizzy.

"Good morning, my love. Happy birthday," he said in a low happy tone.

"Thank you," she replied with a smile on her face, her eyes lingering Severus' lips for the briefest of moments.

"Had a nice sleep?" Severus asked.

Ana replied by crashing her lips again against his and winning a surprised moan from his mouth. 

After a few moments, Severus pulled away, with a serious expression across in his face, but Ana knew exactly what that expression meant. She knew what her kiss had spurred inside of him.

Clearing her throat, she approached the stove and smelled the scent coming from the pan.

"This smell so good," she said, innocently moaning at the sweet smell filling her nostrils.

That moan didn't help either.

Severus, who was staring seriously at Ana, was snapped from his trance.

"I made them for you," he said.

"Good, I'm starving," she said, taking her place in the table.

They ate breakfast in silence, both of them enjoying the food Severus had prepared. He really had everything planned.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Ana asked after sinking into the chair as she felt her stomach full and about to blow.

"I'm thinking about going to a seafood restaurant and go to the muggle museum you wanted to go to."

Ana stared at him with a wide smile on her lips. She's a museum's lover and Severus was well aware of it. When she was young, she'd go on school's trips to different kinds of museums, but there was one she always wished she could visit: the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archeology. It's located in Oxford, and it's one of the oldest museums in England and the first university museum. There were Drawings by Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci and paintings by Picasso and other famous artists. In fact, there were a lot of things she wanted to see in Oxford, and Severus had a port-key already settled for them to travel. He also had a hotel room booked in there, so they could rest after the long day ahead of them.

Severus smirked at Ana's expression and he couldn't help but search for the little box he had brought with him to the escapade. It was also part of his birthday gift. It was something that Ana could use all the time and would certainly make her remember him every day and every night.

"Happy birthday, my love," he said, kneeled in front of her as he opened the dark green velvety box, exposing a simple necklace, with a white semi-transparent stone.

Ana opened her mouth and smile warmly, loving the necklace the moment she laid her eyes on it.

"It's beautiful, Severus. Thank you so much," she said as Severus placed the necklace around her neck and clasped it while she pulled her hair up. Looking down, Ana smiled and turned around to look at her beloved who had the most lovely expression on his face, as if he was proud of the woman he could call _his_. "I loved it."

"And I love you," he said before planting a soft kiss on her lips. Ana didn't let him go when he attempted to break the kiss. Instead, she got up and pulled him up with her, not daring to stop her lips from devouring his. Severus was not in the mood to be patient, so, his long fingers unbuttoned the shirt Ana was wearing, letting it fall on the floor and expose her petite frame. Picking her up in his arms, he took her to the bedroom, carefully placing her body on top of the white cream sheets. He intended to be quick, as they had a whole plan ahead of them, so he didn't waste any time - he took off his boxers, exposing how eager he was to have her again, and without giving her time to say anything, he entered her, a lovely moan escaping her lips.

Keeping a quick and determined pace, Severus thrust himself into her, pounding against her hips, as he whispered in her ear just how beautiful she was under him. 

They had lost the count of how many times they found comfort in each other bodies, but Severus could swear it always seems like the first time he had her, on the house Dumbledore had left her during the war. The same house they now call _home_. 

The only difference was the feelings he had for her. As silly as it could sound, he loved her, even more, every day, even when she's working late and arrives at their chamber exhausted. He wasn't sure if that was even possible and he wondered several times if that would go on forever.

And with every thrust of his hips, with every moan escaping her lips, he was sure that he loved her even more at that moment. That's why he felt so grateful because someone thought he was worthy enough to have such a beautiful angel in his life.

"I love you," she moaned between kisses, wrapping her legs around his waist, allowing him to go deeper.

"I love you, Ana," he replied, holding just a little bit more since her moans were his favorite sound. "I love you so much."

And with that, they were both panting and sated, foreheads leaning against each other and stealing kisses in between breaths.

Severus truly had everything planned for Ana. The best was yet to come, but as they walked through Oxford streets, he was satisfied with Ana's expression. That day was her birthday and he wanted her to do everything she wanted to do. The next day they would go to a special and beautiful place, just the two of them, away from everything, where they could just lie together all day.

Oxford Castle and the university were the first things Ana wanted to see during the morning. Severus was not a tourist man, at all. But everything was bearable when Ana was by his side, and he had actually started to enjoy meeting new places with her. 

He took her to lunch at a seafood restaurant. Ana loves seafood and he wanted her to enjoy one of the most known for their high quality. A bit expensive, but absolutely worth it. 

Ana seemed to be enjoying every moment she spent in Oxford, and that was what Severus wanted the most. But when they arrived at the Ashmolean Museum, it seemed like Ana had turned into a kid on Christmas morning. She bearly spoke but her eyes were sparkling more than Severus ever saw before. The museum was huge, with sculptures, paintings, drawings, vases, mummies, and other artifacts from different times and eras. But the most beautiful piece of art, in Severus' opinion, was the woman by his side with who he wished to spend the rest of his life.

...

"So, where are we going now?" Ana asked, not being able to hide the excitement about the fabulous weekend Severus had planned for them.

"It's a surprise," he replied as he walked determined through a dark alley. Ana supposed he was taking her to a port-key. They had to hide from the muggle's presence to use them, otherwise, they risk an unwanted exhibition. Due to the disease spreading across England and in other countries, there are fewer people in the streets, which was an advantage for them. They could travel without being seen.

"This whole weekend was a surprise, Sev. Come on, tell me."

"You packed the warm clothes I told you, did you not?"

Ana furrowed her brows.

"Of course."

"You will need them," he simply replied, showing her a boot hidden behind an empty and rusty dumpster, which would be their port key.

"Where are you taking me?"

Without replying, Severus took Ana's hand and placed it on the boot, which took them immediately to their destination. A chill ran all over Ana's spine. Even though she was already used to traveling like that, it still caused her a funny sensation. She wondered several times why did the wizarding community couldn't use planes and cars like the rest of the world. Or why couldn't they use cell phones which were becoming more and more important in people's lives? Muggle's life, at least. Writing letters were slower than calling someone, she thought.

Soon, Ana realized the chill she felt was not due to the trip. It was due to the weather. When she opened her eyes, she had to find warmth in Severus' arms, since they were in the middle of snow and mountains, in front of a hotel building. The sun was shining so bright, but not enough to warm them, and the white snow was reflecting the light so intensely that it actually hurt Ana's eyes.

"Where are we?"

"Iceland," he said, taking her to the hotel.

"WHAT???"

"I remember you once told me you wanted to see the northern lights, am I right?"

Ana was speechless. He was not wrong, she always wanted to see them. But she only remembered saying it years ago. _Many years ago_. She was in 12 Grimmauld Place, speaking to Sirius, Hermione, and Ron, while they were waiting for an Order meeting to start and they were talking about what Sirius would do when he was a free man. Ana told him to see the Northern Lights, something she had always wanted to see. Severus was there that day, but she never thought he was listening, let alone remember such a thing.

She didn't speak anything until they approached the bedroom.

Once again, there were no words.

The bedroom must have cost him too much. It was a four stars resort, exotic and exquisite. It is far away from light pollution so the visitors could see the skylights perfectly if they were lucky. Outside was very cold, but as soon as they set foot into the lobby, they felt like they traveled to the hottest place on earth. And the room was no different. It was cozy and welcoming, warm, and absolutely beautiful. They had an amazing view over the deserted plain land and over the ridge of high mountains covered in white.

The bed in their bedroom was king-size, there were a couch and a fireplace near the window with the amazing view over the landscape and, Ana's favorite part, there was a bathtub in the middle of the bedroom.

Chocolate and champagne were also waiting for them.

But none of that seemed to have the effect the view had on Ana. Severus watched her in silence as she walked to the window. It was only see through from the inside. Outside it was a dark window, so people could enjoy the view from the bedrooms without anyone seeing them. Ana was almost glued to the glass, watching the view outside, feeling fortunate for having such an opportunity to spend time with the love of her life in such a beautiful place. 

"Did you like it?" Severus' strong voice interrupted her thoughts but she didn't dare to look from the view.

"Yes... This is... beautiful," she spoke in a weak voice.

Soon after, Severus' arms were pulling her to him and his head was buried in her neck. Then, he walked away and brought two glasses of champagne, handing one to Ana.

She took it, made a toast with him, and drank it. Then, she asked him to fill the glasses again. And again. And again.

"Are you intending to get yourself drunk or me?" Severus asked.

Ana smirked, her cheeks slightly rubberized.

"Well, I don't have to go to work tomorrow, so..."

Severus hesitated before pouring the rest of the content of the bottle into their glasses and handed it to Ana.

"I might have to ask for another bottle then," he said. "I must tell you I don't get drunk this easily."

"Well, I do," she said happily. "So you can take advantage of me while I'm drunk."

This caused Severus to furrow his brows.

"I'd never do such a thing."

Ana looked up at him with her innocent glistering eyes and Severus knew what that meant. _He was done._

"What if I want you to take advantage of me?"

He remained quiet, with his mouth closed in a thin line. Staring at her, he analyzed her happy face and knew that was the face he wanted to see for the rest of his life. 

"Then," he spoke slowly, as he took her glass off her hand. "Since it is your birthday, after all, I shall fulfill your requests."

Without giving her any time to speak, he attacked her lips, kissing her passionately and taking her to the bed. Forcing her down with a little push, much to her shock, he placed his body on top of hers and pulled her up to lay her head on the pillows. Then, he resumed the kiss, while his hands touched every single part of her body. He caressed her arms, pulling them up, above her head, while he explored the sides of her body, her breasts, and, again, her arms. Then, he devoured her neck and, when Ana tried to pull her arms down to grab his hair, she realized she was cuffed. Looking up, she saw that Severus had her tied up to the bed and she didn't even felt him doing it.

Severus looked up and smirked when he saw her confused face.

"You did ask me to take advantage, did you not?"

Ana gulped and nodded her head, the alcohol and the thrill hitting her hard and making her dizzy.

" _Good_."

Severus really did as she asked. He took all of her clothes away, exposing her to his own eyes. Delighting himself with the view, he started by kissing and biting and sucking every inch of skin he could find that he knew it would make Ana go insane. She was endeavoring to be quiet, but her shy moans were such a drug for him. He wanted more and more. So, he went further down her belly, and placed his head between her legs, kissing her tights, closer and closer to her core.

He was teasing her. Making her ache for him, even though she was practically dripping.

Ana felt his warm breath in her core and there was nothing more she wanted that moment as feeling his lips on her. She was burning and that was making him even more confident. He knew the power he had over her. He knew only he could make her squirm and scream in pleasure.

And when he finally gave her want she wanted, when he finally kissed and licked her core, he became even more aroused when she moaned his name. _His name._ He thought to himself about how beautiful it sounded and how much he wanted to hear more and more. So he worked his tongue and his lips, licking and sucking until Ana almost released a scream as she reached her climax.

Severus looked up as he saw a panting Ana and he wouldn't let her have a second of rest, and before she could catch her breath, he was already sucking her again, grabbing her tights to force her to stay still.

This time, he decided to use a finger, slowly penetrating her and making her snap her eyes at him, to watch him giving her pleasure. But she couldn't hold her head much longer as she reached for her climax once again and felt a wave of electricity running through every inch of her body.

Severus stopped, watching her arching her back and he couldn't wait any longer. He removed all of his clothes as fast as he could, and he traced her folds with her fingers, realizing she was more than ready for him. Ana was wet. So wet that he was momentarily surprised by how into that she was - the alcohol, the tied wrists, and being completely at his mercy. For a second, his mind played several scenarios he could do to her, but he decided it might be too much for her. She was the strongest woman he had ever met, but she seemed so fragile - the last thing he wanted to do was scaring her or harming her.

He rubbed his tip between her folds, teasing her slowly and painfully until he begged him to continue.

"Severus..." she whispered. "Please, I'm gonna explode... Stop teasing me..."

Ana was trembling beneath him. She felt the tip penetrating her just a little bit and, then, leaving her empty again.

"I want you," she begged. "I want all of you."

Severus looked down and seemed surprised how much she was aching. He had teased her before, but that night she was more aching than ever.

"That's all I wanted to hear."

He entered her, stretching her, pushing as deep as he could. Severus could stop himself from moaning as he felt her slippery walls contract around him. Ana couldn't do much, as she was restrained, but she was loving every single second of it.

Severus worked a rhythm, slow, but hard and deep at the same time, feeling spurred by the little noises coming from the woman under him. Kissing her neck, while his hands wandered under her body, pulling her against him by her ass. He increased his speed as he heard her little noises, indicating she was again at the edge.

He pulled away from her, and pulled her legs up against his shoulders, only to penetrate her deeper. That was enough to have her coming around him. The third time that night. But Severus wasn't done yet. He needed to make that night unforgettable. And for a whole hour, he made her come several times, each time in a different position. When they were about to end, Severus decided to release her restraints, and Ana was so relieved by it that the first thing she did was grab his face and pull the roots of his hair and force him down to kiss her.

At last, as Ana pulled his hair with little force and wandered his back, slightly scratching her nails against his skin, Severus was approaching the edge. He wouldn't hold it any longer, but they had the whole night and the whole day to do it all over again, so he decided not to contain himself any longer.

Between kisses, Severus groaned and whispered Ana's name and how beautiful she was.

"Tell me you love me," Ana asked him.

"I love you, Ana. I l-love you," he panted, crashing his lips against hers.

She closed her eyes, feeling her whole body trembling, but Severus begged her to look at him while she was reaching for her climax one last time. Ana opened her eyes, darkened by pleasure and it unraveled him in a way he never thought possible. He flattened himself against her body and started thrusting as fast as he could, grabbing her waist for support.

Ana moaned loud, vocalizing a series of curse words as her body allowed her to reach her peak. At the same time, Severus couldn't control himself from cumming, crashing his hips more violently against hers. 

At last, he collapsed on top of her, panting and groaning as he let out his orgasm.

"You're amazing," Ana whispered, her voice slightly hoarse. "Just absolutely, undeniably, fucking brilliant."

Severus smiled against her neck, breathing against her skin and planting soft kisses there.

"Did you like it?" He asked.

Ana hummed slightly and Severus knew she was falling asleep.

He sloped his body up and gazed down at her, beaming affectionately as Ana sought to find his body warmth.

"Do you want me to wake you up if the Northern lights appear?"

"Yes..." She said before passing out.

***

At 2 A.M., Severus shook Ana's shoulders, gently calling her name. She rubbed her eyes and got up, her eyes immediately opening when she saw the green dancing trail of lights shining in the sky as if there was a song playing and they were dancing to it. Ana crawled out of bed, wearing nothing but her skin, and sat on the floor, by the window. The fireplace was burning on her left side and Severus sat behind her, his arms and his legs wrapped around her, both of them watching the night sky in utter silence.

It didn't last long. 

Only a few minutes of a spectacular phenomenon that attracts so many people around the world, but they were worth it. There were no other words to describe it. 

Ana remained there quiet after it had ended. She was so mesmerized by the beauty of the show she just witnessed that she could not address the world revolving around her. It was as if time and space had ceased to exist and all she could perceive was the sky and warm arms around her, feeling as blessed as she was.

"Are you okay?" Severus' gruff voice snapped her out of her trance.

Ana cleared her throat.

"Yeah, yeah - I'm fine." She said leaning back her head to rest it on his cheek. "The alcohol and the food had made me sleepy."

Another moment of silence fell upon them, but they didn't need to talk. Not really. The moment spoke for itself, and for half an hour they didn't pronounce a word.

The fire kept crackling in the fireplace, warming up the room, and it didn't diminish the flame. Ana wondered if Severus was controlling it with his magic and, as her eyes were glued to the dancing sparks, she felt so blessed for finding such a wonderful and _magical_ world, and a wonderful man, but she couldn't help but wonder where her _foster parents_ were, or miss Albus - the old man that would talk to her at the coffee shop and ended up being more than a friend: _a father._

Severus looked down at Ana and furrowed his brows at her expression. There was no need to read her mind - he couldn't do it anyway - to know where her thoughts were.

"Did you enjoy our weekend?"

She seemed like she was sleeping with her eyes open and Severus woke her up. His voice sounded slightly worried, but the worry soon disappeared as he heard her brightened up voice.

"Honestly, it was the best one of my favorite weekends of my life," she said.

"You have other _favorite weekends_?" Severus teased.

"Yes," she said, turning around to look at him. "All of them include you." And she pressed her lips against his.

Ana's happy face vanished just a little but enough for Severus to notice. He furrowed his brows and stared at her with his intense dark orbs, trying to figure out why the sudden change of behavior.

"I can't get my head around how perfect this couple of days has been," she started, her voice weakening at each word. "And even though I have to go back and help people, I don't want to... It's like hell... I barely sleep, barely sleep, barely find myself in your arms, and... and I just - I just want this weekend to go on forever."

"I wish the same, love," he said, kissing the top of her head. "But I also know you'd never get proper rest if you were to be trapped in here with me forever, while the world outside is tumbling apart... Because you have a gift I can never understand, the gift to help everyone around you, but it is also a gift that I respect and cherish."

"I miss being with you," she whispered, looking up at him and, that moment, he could see his world in her eyes. "I missed this... I missed -- us. I'm sorry for being absent... But I don't know when this is going to end..."

"I think you had enough of apologizing, Ana. I fell in love with you for many reasons and one of them is your ability to help people. That's what you always wanted, wasn't it? So, do what you have to do. I am not going anywhere, love... I'd wait for you all my life if I have to." He cupped her cheeks and smiled at her now teary eyes. "I love you and nothing will change that, even if you were on the other side of the planet. You are the love of my life, Ana."

"You're the love of mine. I want you," she got up from her place on the floor and sat on his lap, her legs wrapping around his waist. "God, I want you so much. Each day that passes, I love you even more. Is that even possible?"

Severus smiled warmly and devoured her lips, carefully laying her back against the rug in front of the fireplace, where he made love to her, once again.

And that's how they spent the rest of their dreamy weekend, together, away from everything and everywhere, in a place where only they mattered, and the outside world ceased to exist. Their love was increasing at every moment, and they had proven everyone that it will last forever, no matter what. And, finally, as they made love for the last time in the next day, they were slow and passionate, as they wanted the moment to drag for a long time because they knew that in a few hours, they would be back to hell.


	9. Chapter 9

"Oh, I know that smile," Alba praised as soon as Ana walked into the laboratory that Monday morning. "Was the weekend that good?"

Ana felt her cheeks reddening as the other coworkers side-eyed her and some even had a tired sneer on their faces. She punched her friend in her arm and picked her white gown to start working.

"It was _that_ good, but can you be any louder, I don't think they heard you in China," Ana scolded her friend, even though her shy mile didn't vanish from her face. 

Alba noticed the necklace around Ana's neck and commented on how beautiful it was, but that was the last words they shared before working in silence for a couple of hours, focused on the thousands of experiences they were making. Johnny was late, which was unusual. No one in the office knew what had happened to him and they actually got worried around lunchtime. First of all, because Johnny is never, ever, late; Second of all, if he needs to arrive later, he always sends an owl with a note, or leaves a note the day before.

Even though he was nowhere to be seen that day, the work needed to be done, and Ana and Alba didn't waste any time worrying about him. The Devil's draught was actually showing good results and they were concluding the reports so they could talk to other teams and make larger tests, and, hopefully, help to fight the disease. However, they still had a long way to go before achieving that point and they were well aware of it.

Ana was not comfortable about exhibiting her work on the plant considering it was one of her major findings, but if that meant it could help cure that newfangled infirmity, she would give up everything to help.

The week seem longer than they normally were. Probably that was because of the amazing weekend Ana had spent with Severus. She found herself daydreaming most of the time, more than she usually did, remembering every detail of their little escapade. When she went to Hogwarts to work on the hospital wing area, she'd first find her beloved to give him a kiss or two and that was helping him endure those days without her. She had decided to make a double effort and spend more time with him, even if for only 5 minutes. She started by waking up and having breakfast with him, in their cozy chambers that, as time passed by, started lightening up; the windows were open more often; there was a sweet smell of lavender and coconut in the hair from Ana's shampoos and her natural scent, which Severus cherished; things were no longer in complete dark and everything around seemed happier.

The breakfast was no longer than 20 minutes, but they enjoyed every second of it.

Meanwhile, some students haven't returned to school after the Easter holidays. Some because they were sick, others because their parents were afraid they get sick once they returned to Hogwarts.

Everyone was scared. A little bit more every day as no magical and non-magical creature achieve anything resembling a cure.

Johnny also didn't show up for the whole week and, eventually, Ana and Alba sent him a letter. With no response after 2 days, they decided to knock on his door during lunch break. But no one was home. Or didn't want to open the door. Out of worry, more than curiosity, Ana decided to use her powers to find him, but her heart skipped a beat when she was not able to do it. She knew it wasn't her fault, there was some other reason she couldn't find him and that was truly worrying.

After half a week, a dark grey owl brought them a piece of parchment.

  
  
_Dear Ana and Alba,_

_I apologize for not writing earlier, but my condition did not allow me such a simple gesture. I have been locked in a nursing house as a serious illness took over me. It is almost completely gone at the moment and I am feeling much better now. It has been a hard process, but I will be soon ready to go back to work and I do have a renewed energy._

_I hope I did not worry you too much._

_I will return soon._

_J_ _ohnny._

Ana and Alba stared at the letter with their eyes wide open. Such a simple letter inspired so much suspicion. First of all, Johnny's letter is not that perfect, and second, he did not write that well. Johnny they knew would make a joke or two, but the letter was too serious. Perhaps someone else wrote it for him since he was so sick. That would explain the beautiful handwriting. Probably a woman's. Probably his girlfriend. And the fact that he was so polite was because he was sick and probably not in a good mood, or maybe his girlfriend made him be polite.

They didn't talk about their questions to each other, but both of them spent the rest of the day quiet, alone with their thoughts.

After that, two weeks had gone since the strange letter and Johnny was back.

When Alba and Ana arrived that morning, he was already working, mind absent from the world revolving around him.

"Good morning," Alba greeted him with a pat in the back.

At first, Johnny growled, as if he was mad for her gesture, but a second later he turned around was smile at them.

"Missed me?" He asked them both.

 _Now, that's the Johnny I know_ , Ana thought. However, as Johnny's look was too intense and odd, Ana furrowed her brows as they talked to him, asking him about the strange illness he had. Even though his story made sense, something was off. Something was not right. Even though Ana was not convinced about Johnny's wellbeing, she dared not to ask anything directly to him, but she did talk to Alba during lunch break, only to find out she had the same impression ever since he returned to work.

Alba and Ana talked about it during the weeks following his return, but only when Johnny started acting stranger than he already was, Ana made the decision to go for it and approached him.

"Are you ok?" Ana asked, slightly unsure if she had made the right decision by asking him. 

"What?"

"Ever since you returned, you've been acting strange, John - uh, stranger than you already are,2 Alba said, trying to make a joke and act like she was not nervous at all. Johnny's chuckle echoed in Ana's head and she felt a peculiar chill running along her spine, which confirmed that something was definitely not alright with him.

"I am moved that you two are so worried about my wellbeing, m'ladies," he said, grabbing Ana and Alba's hands, kissing them. "But I assure you that I am. I'm still - uh - dull about the condition I had and, maybe I'm not ok because..." 

Alba and Ana looked at each other, with curious, yet, reticent faces.

"Elena and I broke up," he confessed with a stern look plastered across his face, one that seemed too cold-hearted.

"OoOh," Alba said sadly. "I'm sorry..."

"It's alright," he said, turning his back on them. "It was for the best. We weren't getting along very well lately."

Once again, Alba and Ana looked at each other with curious faces, as both recalled Johnny said something about asking her to marry him before the whole disease thing started. There was something more to it, and they knew it, but it was not their place to ask or pressure him into telling him anything he didn't feel comfortable with - and he did not seem comfortable at all.

Weeks have passed after that conversation and not much had happened. They were working harder than ever in the laboratory, now that they had shared the report about the potential of the herb Ana had discovered.

However, even though they had started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, Johnny was acting stranger every day. There were rage explosions all of a sudden; words that did not make any sense to Alba or Ana; other times he was simply quiet, observant as if he was scrutinizing their very movement. Even after Alba and Ana asked him several times why he was acting that way, he would continue acting as if they didn't ask anything. 

Then, things got weirder, and that was the beginning of something Ana did not understand at first. 


	10. Chapter 10

It started with trivial things like opening the door for Ana. 

Bringing her coffee every morning, and overlooking Alba.

Buying her small gifts, like a new quill or a new notebook.

And then he started talking about being lonely and missing a woman by his side, which ended up with Ana talking about Alba being a nice and single girl. Johnny would grimace and chuckle, and once even had the courage to say that Ana was more his type than Alba.

It did seem innocent at first, but anyone who knew the real Johnny, knew something was different and Ana wasn't enjoying this change. All that distorted behavior was becoming unbearable. It happened every day for weeks until it escalated into something else. Afraid of what might happen to Johnny if she told Severus, Ana simply tried to avoid Johnny whenever she could, deciding to work on her private laboratory at Hogwarts most of the days. 

Severus was slightly suspicious about the reason for her presence in the school, mostly because Ana seemed to always have her thoughts far away and was jumpier than ever. 

The line between friendship, innocent flirting, and harassment was thin. 

What's innocent and seductive to a person might be utterly inappropriate to someone else. A kind and genuine smile could be perceived as wicked and filled with second intentions. If from the right person, it might make you feel good, but if from the wrong person or at the wrong moment, a message filled with innuendos becomes scary, and an unwanted touch can make you feel ashamed and uncomfortable in your own skin.

At first, he called her doll whenever he handed her coffee: " _Here ya go, doll. Is this too hot for you?_ "

But then he made sure to touch her hand for a long period of time when he handed her coffee. When she called him because she needed him to see something she had discovered, he'd place his hand on her back while she talked, and once even tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Alba, who was watching everything happening, remained quiet as Ana promised she'd take care of the problem if he stepped out of line again, but he'd do it right away, leaving Ana lost, not knowing what to do.

So, for three weeks, Ana worked in her own laboratory, sending owls whenever she needed to pass information to Alba and Johnny.

Whenever she needed to go there, she found a way to either never be alone with Johnny or schedule something with Severus. A diner, lunch, anything.

At the end of one day, Severus had appeared in the lobby and walked to the laboratory, his eyes gleaming at the sight of his beloved Ana completely focused on her work. That was another thing he had loved about her: her dedication. The way she curled her lips when she concentrates on anything. Even when they play chest, in complete silence, Ana curls her lip on one side and furrows her brows. He loved that image. He stood there for five minutes, not daring to talk and divert her focus from the important work she was doing.

However, his eyes also scrutinized the rest of the laboratory and the rest of the workers, and something called his attention: Johnny's gaze directed to Ana.

Severus was used to having men throwing themselves at her. Or eyeing her as if she was the last piece of meat. But Johnny was not doing it. He was not looking at her as if he desired her. He was looking at her as if he wanted to kill her but slowly torture her before. There was a clear maddening gleam behind his eyes, and that small smirk was disconcerting.

"Severus," Alba said as she noticed his presence when she took off her white gown and walked out of the laboratory, intending to go home.

Severus remained stiff as if she didn't talk to him, but Alba was quick to understand where his gaze was locked. She looked at Johnny and a chill ran down her spine. Then, she looked at Severus, who was, now, looking at her. She had the same grave look as he did and both of them knew something was wrong but did not say a word. Eventually, as Alba said goodbye to everyone in the building, Ana raised her head at the door and her smile appeared on her lips.

Immediately, she finished what she was doing, took her white gown, and said goodbye to everyone in the laboratory, not even looking at Johnny.

"Hi," she said, planting a kiss on his lips.

"Hi," he replied, his voice too stern, and his eyes lingering Johnny for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Ana asked, furrowing her brows.

Severus looked at her.

"Nothing. Where do you want to have diner?" And they walked away without saying a word about what happened in the laboratory. 

***

One morning she arrived at the laboratory since she scheduled a meeting with Alba and Johnny and realized the laboratory was practically empty.

Alba wasn't there, but Johnny was and the look on his face when he laid his eyes on Ana sent a chill down her spine as if she was looking directly into the devil's eyes. There was something she couldn't comprehend behind the gleam, something wicked and evil. Something to be feared. There was clearly rage, but at the same time, he wanted to mask it with a forced smile on his lips. His forehead was sweaty and, before approaching Ana, he took a sip of his coffee mug.

Ana noticed him walking towards her and walked away, searching for her white gown and turning around because the last thing she wanted was to look at his face. She was feeling a little dizzy as her mind was sending her waves of electricity as if it was trying to warn her about something. But as Ana tried to analyze the environment around her, something was not right. She couldn't hear minds; feel what was revolving her; she couldn't feel Johnny's presence around her.

However, when she turned, he was holding the mug on one hand and the other was inside his pocket. The smiled that terrified Ana, was still there and she quivered at the sight.

_"_ Hello Ana, I haven't seen you for a while." He handed her a coffee, which she politely accepted.

"I've been busy," she simply said, walking around him and approaching her workplace. The grin on Johhby's face when she took the first sip of her coffee terrified her and she immediately out the mug down.

Johnny chuckled behind her and the air around them became so heavy and so tight that Ana thought her lungs were about to run out of proper air to breathe.

"Hmmm, busy avoiding me," He walked closer to her so that his body blanketed her back, crowding her and suppressing her as if he wanted to show dominance. "Why are you running from me?"

"Please leave me alone," she said, trying to get away from his trap, but Johnny put his hands on both sides of her waist, holding his fingers against the table. Ana looked around her only to find the laboratory completely empty. Everything looked odd. The laboratory was always filled with people wearing white gowns, rushing from one side to the other, even though they barely made any noise. The silence was usually welcome and comfortable to Ana, but not at that moment.

She eyed Johnny with caution and wondered if she should use her powers against him. She always pondered every use of her powers, since she didn't want to cause any harm to anyone, but that was a situation that required the use of strength and she would not hesitate if he continued.

He mocked her, mimicking her trembling voice, " _please leave me alone_. For Merlin's beards Ana, you really are a pathetic little bitch. I don't know how Snape put-ups with your whinny. You are the Dark Lord's daughter, you shouldn't be this petty. Perhaps..." he trailed off, allowing his hands to caress her face gently, but, nonetheless, making her flinch away. "he puts up with you because you might be a good fuck."

That moment, Ana focused on her powers and pushed him away from her, making him stumble back and fall on the floor behind him.

Without thinking twice, she ran as fast as she could, the tears blurring her vision, and her legs trembling on each step she took. 

Even after she was in the street, she didn't stop running. Johnny didn't chase after her, but she didn't feel safe anywhere. The only thing she thought about was going to Hogwarts, curl her body in a ball under the sheets, and inhale Severus' scent on his pillow.

_Severus_.

She thought about him and about his reaction when she tells him what happened. Was he going to be mad at her? That she wasn't certain of, but she was sure he'd go after Johnny and beat him, or worse, kill him. She couldn't afford that to happen. Not that she minded Johnny's fate, - not anymore at least, not after everything he had been doing to her - but she feared the consequences of Severus' revenge.

So, when Severus arrived at the chambers, Ana was there. Under the sheets. Fast asleep.

However, even though her eyes were shut and her breathing was heavy, Ana's mind was awake and she had decided not to tell Severus anything before talking seriously with Johnny. She could get him fired for what he did. Alba was a witness of his improper advances, and something told Ana that Johnny had something to do with the fact that the laboratory did not have any worker present that morning. 

He planned it.

As he has been planning it ever since he returned and the worst is yet to come.  
  



	11. Chapter 11

She dreaded the night and the reality of what happened.

Severus was peacefully asleep by her side, with his hand wrapped around her waist as if he was afraid she might run away from him. Ana took a moment to admire his carefree features and how gorgeous he was. A strand of black-raven hair had fallen on his face and was covering his mouth, so Ana didn't resist the urge to tuck it tenderly behind his ear.

"What is worrying you, my love?" Severus' hoarse voice startled Ana. She assumed he was asleep.

"I'm sorry I woke you."

"I barely slept tonight, as you did," he replied, leaving her slightly shocked by his affirmation. She didn't notice he has been awake. And the fact that he knew something was worrying her, was truly scary. He could see right through her.

"Oh..."

"What is wrong, Ana. You're restless; worried," he said, opening his beautiful dark-brown eyes for the first time that morning.

"What's not wrong, Severus? Everything is wrong," she tried to lie. "And I'm tired of it."

Severus eyed her suspiciously, knowing there was something else. He had noticed how strange Ana has been acting and he was certain it had nothing to do with the disease and her work. He felt it, as he felt all the distress she was feeling. Soul projection was responsible for such a connection, but it was also the fact she was his soulmate. Something he never believed in, but having Ana in his life had proved him wrong. Still, she was lying and he knew that very well.

However, he did not insist. He did not press her into telling him what's troubling her because he knew she'd tell him, eventually.

"It's Friday," Severus whispered. "Can we take the weekend off? Go home tonight?"

"That might be a good idea," Ana said. Being away from everything with Severus was something she looked forward to. "I'll meet you there after work. Alright?"

That was the end of the conversation that morning.

Severus took a shower and walked off to his classes and Ana decided to stay in the hospital wing, working with the nurses, trying her best not to think about what happened with Johnny. What the hell was wrong with him? Had he harassed her or did he actually intended on doing anything more serious? Obviously, she'd use her powers to defend herself, but during the time it was happening, Ana was too terrified to even think straight. She was shocked, afraid and she didn't want to return to the lab, even though she had to.

What was she going to do? Be quiet about it?

 _No_ , she said to herself. _Being quiet about these things is not the key to stop it from happening._

Perhaps, before she could tell anyone or press charges against him, she could talk to him, make him see that he was acting wrong, or even threaten him. She might be able to put some sense back to him, or scary him enough that he'd go away from the lab and never return.

Wondering if she should tell Severus about what happened, Ana spent the morning in Hogwarts, trying to focus on her work. She even skipped lunch, which is something she never does when she's in Hogwarts because it's the only chance she gets to be with Severus during the day. But, eventually, Ana decided to put up her strong mask and strolled out of the hospital wing, determined to clear things up with Johnny. She didn't have to put up with such a mean person and whatever is happening to him, that made him act like that, it's not her fault and none of her business.

Otherwise, he'd have some serious problems on his tail.

She'd tell Severus that night. She had made that decision.

But she was terrified. She didn't know Johnny anymore and she feared what Severus might say to her, even though she was well aware that it was not her fault. She never did anything that could give him the wrong idea about her friendship. Because that was all that ever existed: friendship. Ana doesn't know what was the turning point and that's why she was so scared - she didn't know anything.

Hermione, who had returned to Hogwarts to study an important subject for her job in the Ministry of Magic, crossed paths with her in the corridors. She, being as smart and observant as she is, spontaneously discerned Ana's distress and hurry.

Ana was pale and nervous, feeling her palms sweaty and trembling. But she had to go and do it. Finish whatever was happening to Johnny once and for all.

In the great hall, the staff was sitting after finishing their meals, making time for the next classes to begin. Some had left the room and went to the classrooms, but others had more free time and were still chatting.

Luckily, Hermione spotted Severus and she didn't hesitate to call for him when she approached their table.

"Professor Snape. May I speak to you? It is urgent," she said.

Severus got up, trying to keep his annoyed face, but Hermione didn't mind it anymore - she knew he was faking it.

"What can I help you with, Miss Granger?"

"Uh, it's just -- I saw Ana and I was a little worried," she started, noticing his annoyed face turning into something resembling fear and worry. "She was rushing out of the hospital wing, and she didn't look so well. I even called out her name, but I don't think she was listening. Or if she did, she ignored."

Severus furrowed his brows, his eyes now filled with concern.

"I just thought you should now, in case there's something wrong. She looked very pale, too."

"Thank you, Miss Granger," Severus said. "I'll see if I find her."

However, as he called Ana's name in their chambers and looked for her in her office, he was disappointed and worried at the same time.

He knew she was acting odd lately, but since someone else had noticed that too, he was starting to believe Ana was going through something and wasn't sharing it with him. And whatever it was, it must be serious, otherwise, she would never act that way.

After his final class, he wondered if he should go to their home as they had spoken. If something had happened and he wasn't in Hogwarts, no one would know where to find him. Still, as he entered his chambers, he decided to go home, because if something had happened to Ana, he'd know. He'd feel it.

Using the fireplace network and Floo powder, he went home and waited for her, sitting on the porch, admiring the beautiful view over the river. His memories brought him back to the first time he was there with Ana. After he had killed Albus. He thought he'd lost her after knowing she saw him pointing his wand at her father. But the love she felt for him was stronger than he thought, and she could find the truth beneath all the lies and the secrets. If Ana was able to do that even though her world was crumbling apart, he knew whatever was bothering she would solve eventually.

At least that was he told himself for hours as he waited for her.

It had passed diner time, and Ana was nowhere to be seen. Severus prepared a light meal because he knew she'd arrive and she wouldn't be hungry, as usual. However, she didn't show up until it was almost 10 P.M.

It was dark, slightly chill and Ana had appeared from the fireplace and walked quietly outside, looking for Severus who was sitting on the seat on the front porch. She noticed the untouched food on the table, but Severus glass was missing and so was the wine.

"Severus?" She called.

He turned to her, furrowing his brows at her pale face, her puffy eyes, and dark circles.

"Are you feeling alright?" He immediately let go of his glass and walked to her, forcing her to sit where he was previously seated.

"I am alright, Severus. I'm very tired," she said even though she knew he saw right through her.

"You're not. You're lying to me. You've been doing it for the past weeks and I can endure it no more. What is going on?"

"Severus..."

"Do not take me for a fool," he said.

"I don't want to talk about it now," she said, trying to get up, but Severus seized her wrists and pulled her down to the floor, where he has kneeled in front of her. He wrapped her legs around his waist and sat on the floor, hugging her as she rested her head against his shoulder. For a moment, he didn't pronounce a word. His heart was pounding on his chest and the knot on his throat kept him from vocalizing his worries, but when he felt his shoulder wet as Ana started crying, he gently pushed her away and cupped her cheeks with his hands. 

"Ana, please," Severus begged. "Talk to me."

She didn't reply. Instead, she sobbed uncontrollably and nodded her head.

"No," she cried. "I just want to sleep... I just want to sleep."

She looked up at him and saw the confusion and the worry in his eyes.

"Can you please hold me until I fall asleep? Please?"

Severus wanted to comfort her, to support her and take that pain away, but didn't know what he could do for her. He was completely lost.

So, he got up with Ana on his lap and carried her inside, walking to their bedroom and tenderly laying her down on the mattress.

"Can I do something for you? Do you want to eat or drink anything?" He asked.

"Just hold me," she simply said, before turning around so that Severus could lay behind her and embrace her.

Hesitating for a moment, Severus did as Ana asked and wrapped his arms around her, gluing his torso to her back. Many ideas of what might be happening had flooded his mind, none of them he preferred. What was troubling his beloved Ana? What had happened to her so severely that she was afraid of sharing it with him?

He caressed her hair slowly and gently, feeling her body relaxing with each stroke. After half an hour, he had felt her breathing heavy and her face seemed more at ease. It was nearly midnight and he, himself, was feeling his eyes battling to remain open.

Without having any more energy in him, Severus finally lose the battle and closed his eyes, feeling his body lighter and his thoughts vanishing like smoke. He had fallen asleep at last, still wondering what he could do to make his Ana open up and tell him what was happening, even though he was certain he would not like it.

Ana, on the other hand, woke up soon after Severus fell asleep.

Her mind began to remind her of what had happened in the laboratory's storage room and once she felt Severus stir and turn around in the bed she felt more fear than when Voldemort was alive. She couldn't afford to go through hell again or put Severus through something even worse.

It was her fault. It was all her fault. She had meddled with something she shouldn't have and the rest of the people around her were paying for it. And the man sleeping next to her was the most important person in the world for her and she couldn't remain by his side knowing the truth, she'd never resist going back to his arms and that was the last thing she should do at the moment.

So, she made up her mind, and slowly, in the middle of the night, she slid down of bed, the tears blurring her vision as she made her way out.


	12. Chapter 12

Severus woke up panting and sweating. He had been dreaming, he realized that as soon as his eyes snapped open and his ears caught the silence of his home, though everything seemed real a few moments ago.   
  


_He was running through a long and dark corridor. The floor was slippery but he could not see why it felt that way. It was confusing to him because he could see the door at the end of the corridor, but nothing else seemed perceptible. Everything else was a blur. Cloudy. Someone was on the other side of the door, banging, asking for help. He recognized the voice, Ana's voice, hence the reason why he ignored the black walls closing behind him, the wet, slippery floor that kept him from running faster and the feeling of having a knot in his throat, for a reason not acknowledged by him.  
_

_He kicked the door several times. He punched it, screaming her name._

_The pain on his throat made him wonder if it was just a dream._

_Then, without expecting, the door was opened and Ana was there. Her beautiful dark eyes turned grey, lifeless. But she was looking at him. Her mouth was moving but there were no words coming out. Wearing a white dress, she looked almost angelic if it wasn't for the painful look in her face._

_Severus didn't think twice, he rushed towards her, wanting to hold her and take the pain away, but as soon as he reached her, as soon as his slender fingers grazed her warm skin, she crumbled like sand at his touch. She was disappearing and there was nothing he could do to stop it. So he watched in horror, his beloved falling apart, flaking away into ash._

_He reached her again just the moment she was no longer visible and he finally heard her sweet whisper "I love you today, tomorrow and forever."_

Then, he woke up.

Severus breathed profoundly, gradually, taking in the calming breaths he'd perfected after the war, when he had nightmares and panick attacks. Ana taught him how to calm down, how to see past the dreams, embrace the pain and learn how to live better one day at a time. What she never realized was that, no matter how many breathing exercises she had taught him or any other techniques to calm down, she was the only thing that ever worked on him. Her touch. Her voice. Her presence.

His heart slowed down and his breathing was more controlled.

That is until he reached for the side where Ana was lying and found nothing but empty space where there should have been a beautiful woman.

He sat up, his mind racing as he looked around. Happenings from the night before and Ana's behavior for the past weeks made him feel petrified. The dream was no coincidence and he felt it at the bottom of his heart. Something was wrong. Something was definitely and darkly wrong. The mattress next to him was cold and that fed his fear.

"Ana!" He called, hopping out of bed, scanning every corner of their house. A feeling of _deja vu_ took over him. He had done the same thing when Voldemort had her killed. He shook those memories from his mind and sought to find her. "Ana!"

Severus' mind started racing, considering scenarios, and discarding them as quickly as they came.

She was not in the bathroom, she was not in the kitchen, nor the living room, and she was not outside. The area around the river was as quiet and calm as it was the night before. There was no living being around.

He returned to his home, his heart racing more than ever.

Pulling his hair back in despair, not knowing what else to do but call her name in despair.

 _Perhaps_ , she might have gone for a walk or a run, as she likes to do early in the morning. It was that thought that calmed him just a notch. However, once his eyes fell on the small dining table near the window, his heart skipped a beat.

A piece of parchment.

With Severus' name.

Ana's handwriting.

He rushed to it, but the burning feeling of fear froze him just moments before his hands touched the letter.

Thousands of possibilities had crossed his mind in a fraction of second. None of them were amiable.

For once, he opened the parchment, his body immediately felt the need for support and fell on the chair next to him.

Gulping, he read the letter.

_My beloved Severus,_

_First of all, you need to know that my feelings for you will never change. I am devoted to you and only you. I love you with all my heart, my love, and the only wish I have is to spend the rest of my life by your side._

_Unfortunately, life is not fair. Life gives us a sweet moment of happiness and pleasure and then goes back to the maddening show that pushes us away from each other. After hours of thinking about it, I no longer had the power in me to stay. I did something in my past that had come to haunt me and the price I am paying is terrible enough to force me to get away from you._

_Please, know that I never wanted to hurt you in the first place. You're the last person I want to hurt. Please trust me when I tell you that I'd do anything to keep you safe._

_I left and, I beg you, do not come looking for me. If your love for me is as strong as you claim, please, continue your life, don't look for me. We might meet again someday. Or perhaps on another life. But I will meet you again, that I promise you._

_Yours, forever,_

_Ana_

Severus read the letter several times.

His brilliant mind was not able to comprehend such words. Such cruel words.

Ana had left him? Was she playing a prank on him?

She enjoys to prank him with small things, but that would be too much if it was a joke. He didn't deem she'd be capable of such monstrosity, pranking him like that. She couldn't, could she?

He looked around him, searching for any clue. Anything. But his vision was clouded. His chest was heavy and his heart was racing. His head was spinning and hurting.

The heavy feeling on his chest was not because he was panting - he couldn't even breathe.

"Ana..." he whispered as if she was there to listen.

How could she do that to him? If she truly fled, why wouldn't she wait for him to wake up and tell him in the eyes she wanted to go away?

Then was the part where Severus started to analyze everything he might have done wrong. He started wondering where he had failed. He was complicated, certainly. He was hard to love, he was well aware of such a fact. But Ana loved him, at least, she showed it. Was his love not enough for her to be happy? She did change her behavior for the past weeks, but he thought it was due to the disease and stress attached to not being able to find a proper cure. Perhaps he misread the signs.

Perhaps Ana no longer longed him. Perhaps his complicated story and his horrifying past had finally contaminated her heart and her feelings for him.

Another thought invaded his mind.

Severus tried to shake it away but it didn't budge.

Instead of fighting it, he got up, got a bottle of Whiskey from the counter but didn't bother to get a glass. He drank directly from the bottle, sinking on the couch, bottle in a hand, letter in the other.

Ana's perfume filled his nostrils. She had used the yellow cotton blanket the night before. He put it around her shoulders when he took her inside - she was sobbing and he was desperate to make it stop. So he comforted her, took her in his arms, and rocked her back and forth in the bed.

Was his touch even wanted?

He shook his head again, swallowing a great amount of Whiskey that burned his throat. The sensation was painful, but not as painful as what Ana had done to him.

That's when he asked the question: _did she elope with another man?_

He read the letter again. She claims to love him, she claims that he is the only man. However, she also indicates she had done something wrong. Did she get involved with anyone else? Was she capable of such a terrible act?

Where did he fail on her?

All those unanswered questions finally took over him. Soon, the bottle was empty, as his heart.

He got up, stumbling and knocking things from the table, in an attempt to reach another bottle of Vodka on the counter. He popped the bottle open and didn't waste any more time.

Almost fainting, he managed to walk back to the couch, talking to himself, as if Ana was there. Asking her questions. Telling her secrets. He told her how he realized he was falling in love with her back when Voldemort was rising. He told her about the unicorn drawing he had seen in her sketchbook. The beautiful unicorn under the moonlight that she ended up offering him as a birthday present. He realized he never shared such a thing with her, even though she was aware of how much he enjoyed the gift. He never told her the peace and light emotions he felt when he held the drawing in his hands - emotions he felt for the first time in his life. Hence, his behavior after that moment in order to stop such feelings. He felt things he had shut down years ago. And he fled, intending to push her away. Being mean to her, telling her hurtful things on purpose. But the pained look in her eyes was enough to make him weak. He had no strength to push her away anymore. So he allowed things to happen naturally.

His feelings for her were strong. He was always aware of that. But one thing he was not aware was if they had surpassed Lily's. For a moment, he didn't think he could move on from the ginger-haired woman, but his questions were answered when he held Ana's limp and bloody body in his arms. And when he asked for Madame Pomfrey's help to nurse her back to life, when he sent her a message through his Patronus, he had the confirmation he never even needed - his soulmate was Ana.

His Patronus had changed. For years, it was a doe. However, in that moment, a beautiful silver unicorn had made his appearance.

Why did he never share such a realization with Ana, he was not aware of, but he wished he did. Maybe if he had opened up earlier, maybe if he had allowed her into his heart sooner, she might have stayed with him.

Or maybe, he was not meant to be loved. He considered himself lucky, anyway. Such a repugnant beast to be loved for an angel. He was blessed.

_Yes, blessed._

Those were his last thoughts before falling asleep on the couch, passed out due to the amount of alcohol he had drunk.

The bottle had fallen to the floor, the liquid was staining the wood.

But the letter, the last piece of Ana's presence in his life, he never let go.


	13. Chapter 13

When Severus came to his senses at night, he felt his mouth and his throat painfully dry.

 _Water_.

He craved _water_.

His brain was still waking up and slowly processing what happened that morning when his eyes lingered on the fallen bottle for a brief moment.

He pinched his nose and closed his eyes as a wave of acute headache nearly made him lose his ground. Stretching to grab the bottle, Severus widened his eyes all of a sudden.

_It was not a nightmare._

Ana was gone and he woke up believing it was just a nightmare. He believed she'd be on his side, sleeping peacefully. Her beautiful long hair would be all messed up, but she'd look angelic nonetheless. He'd study her peaceful breathing and he would smile when she twitches her mouth several times. It meant she was dreaming and she was about to wake up. He'd study her carefree expression oftentimes, wondering how as he able to get a woman like her in his life. She was out of his league, he was well aware of it, but she was there, by his side, every day and every night.

But now, she was gone.

The peace he felt with her was no longer felt.

Severus fought hard to get up, but he was still slightly drunk, dizzy and all he wanted was to throw up.

But he didn't let that stop him from moving to the front porch, sit on the chair and wait for Ana to return. He waited for the whole night and he'd wait for her his whole life if he needed to. But as the hours passed, and she was not there yet, his hopes were fading and his fears were taking over him.

Panicking, Severus took his wand and disapparated when the sun started to reappear on the horizon. He couldn't care less about his appearance or his condition. The thought of Hogwarts came across his mind as his logical reasoning started working and he appeared without thinking twice at the front gate a second later. It was early Sunday morning, the students were asleep, as the staff must be.

He considered all the places Ana might be.

Hogwarts was the first that popped his mind. He went straight to their chambers and froze when he noticed something different. He could feel Ana's perfume in the air and, once again, he called her name.

"Ana!" He called, his head throbbing at the efforts he was doing to stay up. "Ana, please, stop this foolish game."

But there was no answer.

Still, she had been there, he knew it.

He searched the bedroom, but she was not there, nor in the bathroom. But he decided to check on something before leaving: their wardrobe and drawers. And as he scanned the empty drawers that once kept Ana's clothes, he confirmed it: she had fled.

"No..." He muttered. "No, no, no, please don't... Please, don't leave me."

For the first time, tears blurred his vision and the feeling of loss took over him.

"Don't leave me... please," he begged, sobbing and burying his face in his hands.

He wept for hours.

He called for her name. But there was no answer, even when his mind played tricks on him and he could swear on his life he had heard her answer his plead.

Severus knew Ana. Severus knew she'd never do something like that, but he started asking himself if he truly knew her. _What was she into?_

When he was belatedly able to put himself back together, it was nearly lunchtime. His stomach was empty, growling, but he had no intention on feeding. He was no longer able to eat anything as the only thing he wanted was to vanish.

_Why make him the happiest man alive if she intended to leave him from the beginning?_

Severus left their chambers and marched through the corridors.

He was sad, furious, anguished, afraid... He was also confused and overwhelmed. But a wave of courage to find her took over him and he strolled through Hogwarts in hope that Ana still wasn't completely gone. If she had gone to Hogwarts to take her clothes someone might have seen her.

Peeves just appeared out of thin air around the corner, laughing with another lady ghost Severus never had an interest in knowing her name. He decided to ask.

"Peeves, lady, have you seen Ana today?" Severus asked, trying to sound tough. But his red puffy eyes had betrayed him.

Peeves' amused look never vanished from his face.

"Did you lost her already, Severus?" Peeves mocked him.

The lady ghost, however, felt his pain and the heavy emotion involving the man.

"She had visited earlier, but she left in a rush," she said. "I had no opportunity to ask if she was feeling well."

Severus nodded and walked away, without thanking her. But all of a sudden he paused his tracks and walked back to them.

"Did she carried anything? A suitcase, perhaps?"

The lady nodded and flew away, knowing what was the meaning of such an event. She had lost her love before, thousands of years ago, and she did not want to linger and watch someone else going through the same pain that had led her to her death. And she knew very well that look in Severus' eyes... _Oh, she knew it very well..._

Severus rushed out of Hogwarts' grounds to disapparate.

A moment later he was knocking on The Burrows house. He was punching the door as hard as he was desperate.

Molly Weasley appeared along with her wide smile.

"Severus, hi, wasn't expecting yo --"

"Is Ana here?" He interrupted her, scanning the room with his eyes.

"No --"

"Did she show up today? Or yesterday?"

"No, she didn't. Severus, wh --"

Severus shook his head and pulled his hair away from his face.

"Severus, for Merlin's sake, what happened? Where's Ana?"

"I don't know," he said, tears burning his eyes again. This time he didn't fight them.

"Wha-- what do you mean you don't know?"

"SHE'S GONE, ANA IS GONE!!!" He roared, startling Molly. A moment later, Arthur showed up after hearing the commotion disturbing his peaceful Sunday morning.

"What happened?" Arthur asked.

"Ana is gone," Molly said, not knowing exactly what it meant.

Severus wasn't able to speak and explain. Instead, he handed them the letter.

He didn't know what else to do. She was nowhere, no one knew where she went and all he had was that letter. The letter that said nothing about why she had to put him under such stress and sadness and anguish. It was cruel, he thought to himself, the cruelest thing she could have done.

Molly and Arthur gasped as they finished the letter and eyed Severus. They too had to read the letter several times.

After half an hour trying to calm down Severus, they managed to make him go inside and drink a calming tea. They narrowed down all the places she might be, but they were the places Severus had searched already. They had nothing.

"What about the laboratory?" Arthur asked.

"They are not working on Sunday," Severus said. "It's their rest day."

"Still, she might be there," Mollys said. "We have to search everywhere."

Severus nodded his head, agreeing with Molly. He grabbed his wand to disapparate.

"Severus," Molly said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come back here after searching. We will gather a few people to search for her too. We will find her."

"We have to," Severus said, the dark tone behind his voice terrifying Molly. "Otherwise, there is no longer a motive for me to live."

And with that, he disapparated.

The first thing Molly did was hug her husband who was silent and expressing the darkest grimace she had ever seen. If Ana truly left without saying anything but what was in that letter, they knew it was serious.

A Patronus was cast by both of then, with messages to all their friends. Mostly the ones that fought by the side in the Order of Phoenix. They all wanted to honor Dumbledore by making sure Ana was safe and if she was in trouble, they would certainly step in.

But as the hours went by and their friends showed up, there were no signs of Ana.

When Severus returned empty-handed from the laboratory he did nothing but sit in silence on the couch, staring into the emptiness of his soul.

The plans and ideas his friends were sharing didn't reach his ears. Nothing was perceptible anymore. Nothing made sense. What he knew for sure was that Ana - _his beloved Ana_ \- had left him.

She was gone.  
  
  


It was nearly diner time. Molly offered him food, but he refused by simply nodding his head. However, he didn't move or flinch. He didn't speak and his vacant eyes were nothing but two lifeless brown orbs.

The pain of what was happening had frozen in. He was at a level where he couldn't feel anything.

That wasn't the Severus people knew. The Severus everyone knew was the brave man that deceived Voldemort into thinking he was a loyal follower. The man that made everyone hate him when he was in fact the hero behind the story. He was the man that sacrificed his happiness, his only friend, and his honor and faced evil with all his might. He was _that_ brave. But the man sitting on the Weasley's couch was not that man anymore. At least, they weren't able to see him.

"Hasn't Harry reply yet?" Molly asked.

"No, his colleagues at the ministry said he left on a mission. You know, being an Auror is not easy, but he must be arriving anytime now," Ginny replied. "Do you think Ana is alright?"

Molly looked at her husband, her sad eyes lingering on him for the briefest of moments, and then to her beautiful daughter.

"I don't know, sweety, I don't know."

"I mean... it's Ana, right? She has to be alright... we have to find her."

Arthur, who had been quiet the whole day, finally spoke up, high enough for Severus to hear.

"Ana came back to life, fought _you know you_ , her own blood father. She is also the daughter of Albus Dumbledore. That is why I know she is alive and well. But the harsh truth is that - and you all have read the letter - she does not want to be found," he paused for a moment, to let his words be understood. "If she does not want to be found, she's smart enough to stay hidden from us. So, no, I don't think we are going to find her anytime soon."

Molly rushed to the kitchen to hide her sob. Ginny went outside to wait for her husband, trying to hold her own tears. She truly needed her beloved's hug. Arthur, on the other hand, approached Severus with two glasses and a bottle of Whiskey, offering it to the broody man.

That's how the next hours were spent.

Those hours turned into days. And days turned into weeks.

There were no signs of Ana. Everyone was assuming the worse, whispering every time Severus was around, which made things worse. The once happy and in love man was now mournful, anguished, and exasperated.

And God helped whoever dared to cross his path.


	14. Chapter 14

Minerva had arranged a substitute teacher for Potions' classes, while Severus put himself back together. However, she intended to have the Potion's Master back, even if he was back to his old scary posture that terrified any student or staff.

While the members of the old Order of Phoenix searched everywhere for the daughter of the best Hogwarts' headmaster, Severus spent his days hidden in his chambers. As the first month passed, Ana's perfume disappeared, leaving him all alone between the dark walls that were once shiny and filled with happiness. His only companion was the bottles of alcohol pilling up across every division of the chambers.

He slept throughout the day and remained awake at night since he feels the darkness of the night mirrors his soul.

Sometimes, when his mind was too tired and he fell asleep at night, he'd wake up in a jolt as he sensed a presence around him, hovering his sleeping figure, calling his name.

" _Severus_..." he heard several times.

It was her voice. Ana's.

He snapped his eyes open, but the faint whisper vanished as fast as it was heard, leaving a cold sensation and goosebumps along his spine.

Sometimes, he had panic attacks and the walls of his lair were no longer able to protect and comfort him, so he rushed out of the door, to the open gardens where students gather during the breaks. However, at night, there would be no living soul there. There, the heaviness of what happened finally overtakes Severus. He falls to his knees every time he'd feel the cool night breeze passing through his face, digging his fingers into the soft grass. He'd grip it as hard as he could, wishing, praying, hoping it was all a horrible nightmare that went on for too long.

Whenever he had panic attacks, Ana knew how to calm him. Hell, he stopped having them because he taught him how to fight back.

But his beloved was no longer there to help him. His soulmate was not there to comfort him. His Ana.

Was gone.

The headmistress had caught him several times during those breakdowns, but she had no courage in her to step in. Instead, she'd turn around and walk to her chambers, sniffing and wiping her tears. She had contacted a few people to help her find the girl without saying anything to Severus, but there was no good news.

One night, Minerva could no longer endure his behavior. It was tearing her down and everyone around him that cared for him, even though he was pushing everyone away.

She approached him while he remained knelt on the floor and placed his hand on his shoulder.

Severus looked up and Minverva swiped her finger on his cheeks, wiping away the dirt and the tears. But the look in her eyes, that expression on her face, she understands it too. She's broken too. Beaten, broken, sad. They all were.

"Severus, this has to stop," she said as she felt the intense alcohol smell. He also needed a bath. And a good night of sleep. As a Potion's master, he should have made something to calm down his own nerves. She wondered why he had turned to alcohol instead. "You need to stay strong in case she needs you."

"She doesn't need me!" Severus growled all of a sudden, startling Minerva who took her hand off his shoulder. "She left me. It says everything."

"Something serious is happening Severus, can't you see? Do you really think Ana would leave you because she wanted to?" Minerva was starting to be pissed off about the subject. She knew the girl, and she knew the essence of her good soul. If she left Severus with nothing but a letter that said nothing, it was because she was forced to do it. Something important was happening, she knew it. She feared for her safety now that she was alone, but she never believed her love for Severus had diminished and that it was certainly not the reason for her departure. "She loved you so much... She helped you so much, why don't have faith in her?"

Severus' eyes shot up at her, glaring as if she was the devil.

"Faith? FAITH?"

With that, he left, locking himself inside his chambers once again.

***

_Severus was back to his home, near the river. He was reading a book, sitting at the front porch._

_It was a sunny and hot day. The ones Ana loved. She'd be happier during those days - as if she wasn't happy before. She'd glow more than the sun when she felt the warm wind on her face. As usual, she'd go for an early run across the river, inhaling the fresh nature's scent. They were both blessed to have such a perfect place to call home. Since it was in the middle of nothing, they would rarely see people, either wizards or muggles, walking near the area, so it was also private - which was a bonus._

_That morning, after the run, Ana stared at the river, wondering if she should enter it or not._

_Without thinking for too long, Ana took her shoes, her tank top and her shorts off, her body covered with nothing but her underwear and her sports bra. Knowing the water was slightly cold, she ran to the water and dove immediately, surpassing the first contact of the thermic shock. Severus heard the unnatural noise and raised his eyes, narrowing them as he saw Ana's head in the water._

_He put the book down and walked closer to the waterline._

_His eyes met her clothes on the ground._

_"Ana, what are you doing?" He asked her and she grinned._

_"Swimming," she replied._

_"With your sport's garments?"_

_A devilish smile appeared on Ana's face and Severus knew that smile._

_"Well, if you think I shouldn't use my sport's garments, then..." She took off her panties and threw them to the land. Then, she opened her sports bra zipper and threw it to the same spot, laughing when she saw the shock look across Severus' face._

_"Ana!"_

_"Come on, the water is so good," she said, swimming through the water in Severus' direction._

_"Stop, don't come out!" He warned her. "I'm gonna get you a towel."_

_"Hey, love. I'm serious, come inside," she said, smiling at him. The smile she knew he wasn't able to resist. A smile she intended to be innocent but both of them knew it was not. "Live a little."_

_"I have to get my proper clothes, then," he replied._

_"Tsk, tsk," Ana nodded her head. "Come."_

_"You are joking, right?"_

_She ignored him and continued swimming, diving, and reappearing several times._

_Severus looked around, to the house, to the mountains, the trees, and the free-human scenario around them. He knew there were barely any living creatures around to see them, but he feared someone might appear in the most inopportune moments._

_The danger of being caught was enough for him._

_He unbuttoned his shirt and his pants without thinking anymore. He let his clothes fall to the floor along with his underwear. Then, he entered the river and dunk his head down deep into the cold water, remaining there for a moment, feeling the water push and pull him gently. When he no longer had air in his lungs, he pulled himself up to the surface, feeling his skin warming up by the sun. With both his hands he pulled his hair back and the water from his face._

_Ana was smiling, playing around in the water, swimming around him as the predator surrounds her prey._

_"You got me where you wanted," Severus teased._

_"Do I?"_

_"Yes, I know how your mind works," he said. "You wanted to call for my attention."_

_"You think you know me, do you?"_

_"In fact, I do know you... Better than anyone else," he said._

_Ana approached him slowly and his eyes traveled down to the slightly clear water, watching her naked body slowly reaching his._

_"Am I that transparent to you?"_

_Severus grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him._

_"Clear like water," and he devoured her lips, making her moan against his mouth. Caught up in the kiss, his hands on the back of her thighs guided her legs around his waist and, soon, the kisses grew more heated. Her fingers slid through his wet hair, pushing it to pack gently to get him to give her a few moans._

_No matter how cold the water was, heat rose and consumed both of them._

_Her hands slid down to his chest, squeezing his shoulders and lightly digging her nails into them._

_Against her core, she could feel how aroused he was too._

_She couldn't wait anymore. She didn't want to wait anymore. And Severus felt the same way too. He started walking to the side of the river, to the land, as he intended to take her home, but it was getting harder to walk with her so exposed to him. So vulnerable._

_He pulled away from the kiss, aching for air, but once he noticed her red cheeks and her dark and lustful eyes, he knew he couldn't hold himself to get to their house. He knelt on the floor, laying her on the green grass, melting at the lovely look she gave him as she realized what he intended to do._

_"Tell me you want it," he whispered to her._

_She gasped at the feeling of having him pressed against her._

_"I want it. I want you," she forced herself to speak._

_"Tell me you love me," he asked her, seconds away from taking her as his, once again._

_"I love yo --" she gasped away the last word as the feeling of having him inside of took over every inch of her body. He kissed her moans as he thrust against her hips, the moment not lasting for too long, but long enough to keep them both sated, with cheeks crimson by arousing and embarrassment._

_She looked at him while he caught his breath and tried to put himself back together._

_"I love you, Severus..." She smiled at him, the words warming his heart._

Severus' eyes snapped open, staring straight up to the ceiling. He could still hear the three words lingering the silent night. A wave of emotions rolled through his chest, down to his stomach. Trying to control his breathing, he placed his hand against his chest, tapering down the uncontrolled sorrow and the sobs threatening to interrupt the silent and dark night. Pushing it down. Pushing it away. Controlling his emotions. Masking them away.

He has done it his whole life. How hard would it be to do it for the years that he had left?


	15. Chapter 15

  
***** A month ago*****

Ana looked at herself in the mirror.

_Inhaling deeply._

_Exhaling._

_Several times._

Her hands were shaking, but she had no alternative. She was known. She was the Dark Lord's daughter. The man that brought horror to the planet. The one that wanted to eliminate mudbloods and muggles as he believed only pure-bloods were worthy of breathing oxygen as if the other creatures contaminated it every time their lungs did their deed.

One last time, she took in the image of her long and dark wavy hair. She loved it. If she could pinpoint the thing she loved the most about her body it would, without a doubt, her beautiful satin dark hair.

But it was no time to admire it. She had little time and she didn't know what to do.

She thought it was all a nightmare, and she closed her eyes praying to wake up at any moment. The knot in her throat warned her of how real it was.

She opened her eyes again and, controlling her breathing and her emotions, she took the scissors in her hands, grabbed her hair, and cut it short, shoulder-length. As the hair fell to the basin, she looked at herself in the eyes - her dark, puffy and red eyes were tearful, desperate. Terrified. But it was far from being over.

One hour later, the vacant gaze Ana shared with the mirror was only to confirm she was different from what people were used to seeing. The long dark brownish hair was now short and lighter, a mix of light-brown and sandy blonde. A deep sob interrupted the silence when she wondered if Severus would like it like that.

Her thoughts were clouded by the image of him waking up and reading her letter.

What was he thinking about her? What was he doing?

Was he looking for her?

He was hurt. _She felt it._ She felt it deep in her soul how she managed to crumble his heart into tiny pieces.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, wishing that message reached his ears. "I love you so much."

A pounding pressure circled Ana's forehead, as if her brain was trying to squeeze itself out of her skull. She walked to the bag with clothes she had taken from Hogwarts and searched for the one-piece she had stolen: _Severus' shirt._ She covered her washed naked body with it and walked to the bed. She didn't even remember the name of the Inn she was spending the night. She barely remembered the path she took to arrive there. All she was able to think about was the anguish in her heart, which she knew was not only hers, but Severus'. Which was making it harder.

But she had to do it. She had to be strong. For him. For herself. For _them_.

He'd never forgive her. She was aware of it. 

But at least, he'd be safe, so it was a risk she was willing to take.

She'd take all the pain away if she could. But she couldn't. All she could to was stay away.

For the next couple of days, Ana stayed at the decaying muggle Inn. She didn't want to take the risk of being recognized by a wizard, even though she changed her appearance.

She had no idea what she was going to do, it was all just a blur to her. The conversation she had at the lab, Johnny's revelation, being forced to turn her back to everything. One moment you have your life at its higher level of happiness, and the other, you're in a deep, dark well, without a way to save yourself. And Ana could feel the cold water filling the well and suffocating her, slowly, painfully.

For several times she wanted to go back. Go back to him.

Ask him for forgiveness.

But she knew it was her heart begging to be released from the pain.

As the first week went by, she knew she couldn't continue like that. She had to do something. Getaway to the other side of the planet, if she must, but she could not continue pondering to go back to Severus.

One night, when it got the hardest for her, she was packing her stuff again, getting ready to go back. Only the image of her dreadful appearance reflecting in the mirror had stopped her. And the realization of what she was doing made her fall to the ground, kneeling in front of the mirror and sobbing until she had no other option but faint by exhaustion.

If Severus saw her, he'd be disappointed. She was not weak. She never was, but it felt like she lost all her strength at once.

As the tears fell to the floor, Ana's eyes remained shut. She was sleeping, but her mind was working. And that time, she met her father in a dream which made her wonder if it had been really just a dream. He did not tell her what to do or gave her advice. _Or so she thought_. They didn't talk about what was happening. Albus simply talked to her about childhood experiences. Funny ones. The tricks he used to play on Aberforth and Ariana...

Her eyes snapped open.

 _Aberforth_.

Her uncle.

She knew he was a clever but discrete man. Perhaps she could ask him for help. She could ask him to help her find a way to run farther away from London. From England even.

But that meant she had to go back to the Wizarding world and risk being seen.

That fear kept her locked in the room for a couple of days until she rushed out of it as she started talking to herself, as if she was talking to Severus. She swore she could see him. A faint figure at the window when she was almost falling alseep, and she believed it was him. She was losing her mind, being alone, away from him. Away from her friends.

She had to do something, but, first, she had to clear her mind enough to think properly.

So, she walked into the dark night, where the risk of being seen was lessened and she strolled down the street, catching a BUS and trains to get to Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade. Too close to Hogwarts, but she fought herself to turn her head to the other side when the school was at her eyes reach.

Was Severus there?

She stopped in the middle of the street, her eyes lingering the lightened aura around the school. She could barely see it, but the lights were strong. She could feel her home right there. All she had to do was take a few hours to walk, or find the concealed tunnels that led to the school's grounds. 

The lack of air in her lungs made her realize she was almost fainting in the middle of the street. She couldn't. 

People would want to aid her and discover her.

Stumbling, she walked to a dark alley, hiding her gasping breath seized in her throat. The urge to go back to her school and the images of her beloved were everywhere and making it hard to breathe properly.

It was filling her chest, her heart, her throat.

She couldn't breathe.

Finding the wall for support, Ana's hand slowly touched her own cheek, feeling it wet. But she wasn't crying. At least, not at the moment.

The warm rain started falling without her noticing it.

How could it be raining? They were in Summer already.

It poured hard. Like she was under a storm. It was a storm, in fact, she heard the thunders and the lightening falling nearby. It was as if the sky was attacking the ground. She heard people gasping and running for shelter, quickly emptying the barely crowded Hogsmeade.

The storm, however, only grew stronger, but Ana, on the other hand, felt her body shutting down. Everything around her was spinning and she wanted to close her eyes and finally give in. But she couldn't. Not now.

The lightening continued, but Ana was barely aware of herself to realize that most of the lights weren't coming from the sky. Her own skin was glowing. She was out of control. Her powers were reaching high peaks as it never reached before. Not even when Severus had her drinking his Lotus tea.

Ana realized her condition when she looked at her shaking hands. Hot coils of energy swirled up her hands, her arms, around her body, settling in her chest. A chest that has been empty for two weeks now. Empty from her soul, the soul she was forced to rip off of her own body.

Any attempt to calm herself and control her powers were in vain.

The air in Hogsmeade smelt like candies and butterbeer. She chocked again at the memories it held and it only made it worse.

Her body was overheating and, as much as she wanted to flee out of that place, she lost her balance and fell to the floor. Waves of energy pulsated through every nerve. Gold, blue and orange lights sparkled around her - just like thunder. There were glasses shattering around her and she heard a muffled voice calling her.

She forced her eyes to look up.

 _Dumbledore_.

She was dreaming of him again. But it felt so real.

And when her father wrapped his arms around her, she started fighting it, knowing it was impossible to feel him physically. She tried to channel her outburst of energy to whoever was holding her, but to no avail. Instead, a surge of power, hope, care, seeped into her veins.

It was a power charged with hurt but comfortable at the same time. It was understanding. It was the feeling of losing family and the concept of support. It's heartbreak and hopelessness, but under all of it, it was love, it was --

"I got you," she heard the voice.

\-- _Family_.

Those three words ceased everything. After a deafening, final crack, everything calmed down. The rain stopped pouring; the grumbling sky went silent and exposed the stars and the moonlight. The lights returned to lighten up the town.

The atmosphere was warm again.

"I got you."


	16. Chapter 16

Crackling flames dancing over wood was the only noise disrupting the dead of the night.

Hogsmeade had forgotten the disturbances and the odd weather that occurred a few nights ago. Ana wasn't aware she could do such a thing - meddle with the weather. How was it even possible? Clearly, there were more things she had to discover about herself and her powers.

For a moment, Ana wanted to rush to Severus and tell him all about her new discovered skills, but then she remembered the reality of what she was living at the moment.

Aberforth had taken Ana under his wing, took care of her drained energy, nursed her back to health. Life experience had taught him to keep secrets. He never told anyone Ana was there, even though they had come to him for help. Help to find the missing girl he was taking care of in his cozy home behind the Hog's Head Inn. He kept his mouth shut for days, even though Ana was barely awake for three days, recovering from her outburst.

As he returned to his living room and saw the girl playing with the fire, staring with vacant eyes at it, something inside of him broke.

_She's his only family._

"Hot chocolate?" He offered her one of the two mugs he held in his hands.

She looked up at him and nodded her head, reached to grab the mug. She didn't speak, nor smiled as she used to do. Not even a forced smile.

"Good, the other is Whiskey. I prefer the Whiskey," he said in a playful tone.

The deadpan silence made him clear his throat. She didn't even react. Took a sip of the mug and stared again at the fire.

He sighed. _It was time._

Sitting at the sofa next to the fireplace, facing his niece, he gazed down at her.

"Ana. Everyone is looking for you. What happened?"

She didn't reply. It was as if he wasn't even there talking to her.

It was if her soul wasn't even there.

"Severus is lost, Ana. He is desperate," he said. "He came here a few nights ago, asking if I had seen you."

She looked up at him, a tear strolling down her cheek.

"I didn't tell him, of course. But I need to know, why am I lying to the poor man?"

She looked down again.

"I -- " She cleared her throat as the words died. "I can't say."

He sighed in despair, but he didn't give up.

"You came here. Of all places, you came here. It might seem silly, but you have come looking for me, did you not?" She looked at him and nodded. "Tell me what you need."

"Run."

Aberforth closed his lips in a thin line. Somehow, her short answer had warned him it was more serious than he had anticipated.

"Where to?"

Ana shrugged, but something crossed her mind.

"Could you find me some people for me?"

"Of course," he said, putting the mug down.

"They won't be easy to find. I wasn't able to do it... They were probably hidden due to Dark Arts," she said, finding hard to believe that her gut would send her to the people that had abandoned her. By now she had learned to trust her instinct, but the truth is that she had no strength to fight against herself at the moment. So, she just decided to allow her mind to do exactly what it feels it's right and best.

Aberforth opened his mouth to speak but closed it immediately. He knew who she wanted to track down. The question was why?

He simply nodded his head and walked away, wishing her good night.

For a few more days, they barely spoke about it. The grey-haired man kept looking for what his niece asked, but they didn't talk about it. In fact, they barely exchanged any words.

The day had come when Abertforth arrived late with a piece of parchment in his hands. He showed it to Ana, gave her Floo Powder, and rushed her to the fireplace.

"Here, I found what you were looking for," he said, watching as she widened her eyes. She believed he wouldn't be able to do it. "I don't know what on Merlin's beard you got yourself into, and you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But you're the only person I have left that I can call family. Of all crazy things my brother had made, calling you his daughter was, by far, the best. I can see why he wanted you part of the family. So, I beg you to be careful and come to me whenever you need anything. You're my niece. And I will always welcome you with open arms, Ana."

The woman that had shut off her emotions for the last months showed the first sign of humanity. She didn't allow him to say anything else. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head against his chest. Thanking him, and apologizing between sobs.

He shushed her, embracing her and caressing her hair, planting kisses on top of her head, just like Dumbledore used to do. In fact, he talked, acted, and smelled much like his brother. She wondered if he knew how similar they actually were.

"Take care," Aberforth said.

"I will," she replied, a very faint smile appearing on her lips.

"Are you sure you want to meet them?" He asked as he was not sure she was acting the right way. He feared for her safety as he heard rumors about how her family treated her and abandoned her.

Ana simply nodded her head at him. She was lying though, she didn't know if she wanted to meet them. She didn't know anything by now.

Noticing the uncertainty behind her eyes, Aberforth gave her a small bag. "There's enough Floo in there to come back, in case you need it."

"Thank you, Abe," Ana said, making him smile at the nickname. "Thank you for everything."

"Don't thank me now. Whatever is happening, please, let me know if I can help."

"I will, I promise," she said, walking to the fireplace with her small suitcase in her hand. "See ya."

Aberforth smiled weakly as he watched her disappear in front of his eyes. He stood there for a minute or two, watching the fire slowly weakening, lost in his thoughts. A tear escaped his left eye and he wiped it away.

Before going to his bedroom to sleep, he looked at the picture of his sister Ariana on the wall. She was smiling sadly at him. And he smiled back with the same expression.


	17. Chapter 17

The living room was silent.

The once dancing flames in the fireplace were extinguished.

The light coming from the windows was dim but enough to illuminate the objects in Ana's surrounding area. The dark red couch was filled with pillows and blankets; the dining table in the corner had enough space for 4 chairs, but no more; above the fireplace, there were frames of several people and Ana's eyes scanned every single face, eyes watering as she stared at the three-people picture. Her father, her mother, and a man. He must be about her age. And he resembled her mother in so many ways, especially in his eyes. But the smile was her father's.

She stopped for a moment, wondering if she should call them father and mother. She sure had bad memories of her childhood, but she also had good ones. And they did raise her.

_Until they abandoned her._

Clenching her fists, for a moment she regretted her decision of looking for them. But she couldn't think of anyone else and she truly needed to make peace with her past. She needed answers. She _demanded_ answers.

However, she wasn't sure she was going to have them by visiting her foster parents. Perhaps their minds were already wiped out. In fact, she didn't find any picture of herself in their house. It seemed they acted as if she was never in their lives. But then, behind every frame of what Ana presumed were relatives, she saw herself when she was 17 years old. Smiling under the Christmas tree, happily showing the sketchbook and all the art utensils she received from her parents.

Carefully not to make a noise, she picked it up, sat on the couch, and stared at the picture. A tear strolled down her cheek ton the frame's glass and she cleaned it immediately.

The possibility of meaning something to that family warmed up something in her now cold heart. And in a quiet sob, she mourned the time of her life when she was younger and more innocent. When she didn't know her true heritage. Where she didn't have to break her beloved's heart on purpose.

The lights were suddenly turned on and the living room was illuminated.

She was not alone anymore.

Ana turned around and her eyes met a pair of shiny blue orbs.

"Ana?" The man said.

She did recognize him from the pictures. And she wondered...

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I mean no harm --" She got up from the couch with her hands in the air.

Behind the man was someone she immediately recognized. Older, more wrinkled. But she did recognize her own mother.

The woman froze.

And behind her, the father showed up with the same shocked expression.

For a moment, no one said anything.

The only one who dared to speak was the unknown man that Ana was sure he was their son. _Her brother?_ Could she call him that?

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked with a caring tone that made Ana relax a little.

She nodded her head, swallowed, and sighed.

"No," she said.

The woman approached Ana slowly.

"Ana, is that really you?" Ana nodded, not daring to move as she approached her. "You're so... so grown up."

Her mother cupped her cheeks, slowly and carefully, staring into her eyes.

"I am so, so sorry --" Ana said. "I didn't know... I didn't know what he did to you. I- I - I never meant any of it."

"Ssh, I know, I know," her mother said, pulling her for a hug. "I'm sorry we abandoned you. We were so scared."

Ana pulled away.

"You should be scared... Voldemort was a horrible, horrible person --" Ana said, feeling her whole body wanting to give in. It was shocking to her how she forgave them the moment she laid her eyes on them and she felt terrible for being the reason why they were away from their only son. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright now," her father talked for the first time.

He approached her, hugged her, and, for the first time in her life, she felt an honest and humble embrace from her parents.

"We thought we would never see you again... We had to leave," her father started explaining, trying his best not to sob. "We had to protect Charlie. But we always kept in touch to know if you were safe."

Ana furrowed her brows.

"How?"

"This weird newspaper - The daily prophet. We also have been writing to someone in the Ministry of Magic that tells us how you have been doing. They said you disappeared, what happened?"

Ana was confused about how they knew the Daily prophet and the Ministry of Magic and, most importantly, she was surprised they were interested in knowing about her wellbeing. Were they proud of her? Of what she had become? Did they actually care about her that much? She could understand why they fled, it hurt, but she understood. But she never stopped wondering if they ever saw her as a daughter.

"I -- I'm in such a mess," she started explaining. "I don't know where to begin."

Ana's mother grabbed her hand.

"You can tell us anything, Ana. But first, you need to eat and sleep, I'm sure," she said. "Besides, you need to know our son, Charlie."

She gestured Charlie to approach them and finally introduced them as brother and sister, which made Ana sob uncontrollably. He was reluctant at first, but he was a kind man, that could be seen. Besides, Ana did scan the whole living room, looking for any bad energies, to see if she was in danger. But they were all so overwhelmed, happy, and sad at the same time. She knew there was no rage or madness in that house, but there was a lot of love and that is why she accepted their food and shelter.

Ana took a shower while her mother prepared the guest room for her to sleep. It was more comfortable than the other places she slept for the past couple of months. And the best part, she didn't need to be worried that someone was going to find her. France was far away from Hogwarts and that was exactly what she needed - be far away to think properly. Far away enough to not feel Severus' anguish.

She still could feel him though, but not as close as before.

However, he was in her mind, all the time. Day and night.

The morning came and Ana opened her eyes, wondering when was the last time she had slept properly and questioning herself how many hours she slept that night. She did feel well-rested.

She got up and got dressed, leaving the bedroom and going downstairs.

The happy family was sitting in the dining table, breakfast in front of them. But there was a fourth plate. They were waiting for her.

"Good morning," her mother said. "How did you sleep?"

"Like I haven't in months," she said, making her mother's smile turn into a sad one. "Thank you."

She sat on the table and as if by magic, the conversation started flowing as if they were together every morning. Charlie was studying History, aiming to be a History professor. He was in his last year and was already working as an assistant professor and he couldn't feel happier. Her parents had a bakery shop where Ana's mother worked. Her father worked in the post office.

They had a good life. They were happy, and that was enough to make Ana happy too.

"What about you?" Charlie asked. "What do you do for a living?"

"Oh, I'm a healer and a scientist. Uh, I was studying medicine when -- when things happened. I continued studying, uh, Albus paid for it," she turned to her parents. "Do you remember Albus? The old man from the Train's Station?"

"Yes, yes, he was very kind," her mother said. "How is he?"

Ana's smile faded and she lowered her eyes to her now empty plate.

"He -- he died."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I know you liked him very much." She said. "I saw him several times in that odd paper. He was a wizard too, wasn't he?"

"Yes. The best wizard in the world --"

"He did dress funny too," her mother remarked immediately, making Ana chuckle and agree with her.

"Yes. And he had a long beard and long hair," Ana remembered him clearly, he was smiling back at her. "He adopted me, ya know? When I was 23, he adopted me as his own daughter."

There was an awkward silence in the table.

"He did like you very much -- I'm happy you had someone to take care of you," her father said, breaking the strange moment.

"Yes -- I made a lot of friends... The Weasleys, Minerva, S-Severus --"

"That name..." Her mother said all of a sudden. "I read that name. You dated him, didn't you? Once there was this article about you and him."

"Yes, I did. Or I do -- I don't know anymore," she felt a knot in her throat and for a moment she couldn't hear anything around her. She only came back to reality when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder and she looked at Charlie's blue eyes.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes -- yes," Ana cleared her throat, feeling everybody's restlessness and worry. "Anyway, I - I studied medicine for a year and a half, and then I studied the Wizarding way and my way of healing people."

"Your way?" Charlied asked, curiously.

"Huh, yes, I have -- a gift? Powers? I don't know what to call them," she said.

Her parents looked at each other as if they had finally answers to their questions.

"That's why weird things happened around me."

"What kind of powers?" Charlie asked.

"You name it... I can see the past, the present, and the future. I can read minds. Feel whatever people are feeling. Heal wounds. Make objects fly. Conjure things. Huh - change the weather, apparently --"

"Wow, that's fucking amazing! You have to show me!"

Ana looked at her parents, not knowing what to say. She knew they hated when weird things happened around her when she was younger. She was not sure they would want her doing them on purpose now.

"Do you control them now?" Her father asked.

"Yes, yes - I had a - a mentor assigned to me, Severus, that helped me find ways to control my emotions and use my powers. So I use them to heal people and help them when they ask for help. I - I don't use my powers unless I really have to," she tried to soothe them, not knowing if they were comfortable around her knowing she could use her powers against them.

"That's good, honey," her mother said. "You always wanted to help people."

"Good? That's fantastic!" Charlie said, making Ana laugh. "I wonder what I would do if I had those powers. I'd conjure a lot of cakes, that's for sure. You can conjure food, right?"

"Yes, and they are edible," Ana said, remembering the first time she conjured a chocolate cake during a training session with Severus. He facepalmed himself when he noticed her eating the cake happily. Not her most graceful moment, that's for sure.

_Why does everything make her remember him? It was too painful._

"Wow," Charlie muttered. "I have to go to work, but you have to show me that later."

Ana laughed and nodded her head, not wanting to promise anything.

Mr. and Mrs. Gamp took the day off to spend it with Ana. Besides, they had a lot to talk about. And it was not going to be an easy conversation.

By Ana's request, they didn't leave the house for a walk as her mother considered. Her parents knew something was really wrong when Ana said no one could know she was there and she could not be seen. But before telling them what happened, they had to explain to her what happened to them and why they never tried to reach her after all these years.

"It was early in the morning when someone knocked on our door. I still wonder why they knocked, they could easily just burst their way in," her mother started. "I just had my baby. Charlie was a week old when they took him from me... I don't know why they chose us. I still have no idea if they chose us or it was random... But this horrible cloaked man did something to Charlie and he stopped breathing for a moment. He became pale. And he said he could make him live a long and happy life if we give him up and take you in instead. You were both just babies..."

Mr. Gamp continued talking as the woman started crying, sobbing so much at the horrible memory.

"We didn't know what to do. But as soon as we accepted, Charlie's color was back to normal, as his breathing, and he had his eyes glued to us. It was so strange... But we had to accept the deal... We took you into our home and he took Charlie away... He said we'd be rewarded, but we knew we had no other choice. It was that or death."

"I'm sorry..." Ana said. "That man was my blood father... He was a bad, terrible person. Please don't think ill of Wizards, they are really good people. But some of them are consumed by power and the more they have, the more they want."

"Like politicians," her father joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Yes," Ana smiled between her tears. She missed his _dad's jokes_. "But he did terrible things... the most horrible thing he did was conceive a daughter with a mu-- a non-magical woman - which he killed after I was born -, and use his own daughter to hide his powers, in case someone killed him. He had this horrifying agenda... To eliminate people without powers, muggles as we call them, or people without pure wizard blood. Long story short, he was defeated years ago by _accident_. But then, he, somehow, returned and he had to take back his powers... So, he -- he killed men to take them back."

Ana's mother widened her eyes, tears blurring her vision.

"It was horrible. But Severus and, surprisingly, one of Voldemort's most loyal followers, helped me come back to life. I don't know how, but they did."

"What about him? That Voldemort? They said he was dead, but since they said he was dead before, we don't know what to believe..."

"Trust me, he's dead for good," Ana smiled weakly.

"Thank God," Mrs. Gamp remarked. "He can no longer hurt you or us."

"No, he's gone for good now," Ana stated.

"We did our best to raise you as our daughter, but --"

"But you had a son and you didn't know where he was. And I was the reason for that. I get it. And I don't blame you..."

"How did you turn out so wise?" Her mother asked.

"I had a good teacher," she smiled.

"We did manage to see our Charlie when he was eight and then when he turned 18, the day we had to leave. It was part of the deal. When you turned 18, we had to leave and never see you again. We were so scared, you were our daughter after all... But we had to... I'm so sorry --"

"I said I understand..." Ana said sternly. "I didn't at first. I was angry... It hurt, it still does, but I understand. I do have a lot of questions though..."

"You can ask us anything," her mother said with a soft voice.

"Ok, first of all, why didn't you try to find me, talk to me... You had to know Voldemort was dead, why didn't you write to me at least?"

"We were so scared... What if he wasn't dead? What if he came after us? After Charlie? He told us we could contact you again after you're 18," her mother explained and Ana had to stand down her rage as she noticed the pure terror on her mother's clear eyes.

When the woman finished, Ana nodded her head.

"We wanted to find you," her father said. "But we couldn't and we also didn't know how to do it without hurting more than we did."

For a moment, Ana looked to the floor, processing the information. It made sense to her.

"How did you had access to the daily prophet?"

Mr. and Mrs. Gamp looked at each other for a moment. Her father ended up talking.

"Huh, there was also something Voldemort did... He had a follower - we don't know his name - but he did something to him, a bow or something, where he would follow our commands unless it is against our deal. And he had a very strict deal..."

"Bow... It was an Unbreakable Bow?"

"Yes, that's what he called it," her father said. "He provided us with food, money, you name it... And he talked to us about the Magical Community... And since you seemed to be someone important to Voldemort, huh, we assumed you could come in the papers... So we asked him to deliver us the Daily Prophet every day."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that... I must tell you, though, the Daily Prophet is a shitty paper," Ana said. "Where was Charlie all these years?"

"Here, in Paris. Voldemort had somehow chosen an old lady that took care of him - uh, Bathilda Bagshot, she was. But she disappeared not long before we returned to Charlie's life."

Ana remained in deep thoughts about what she just learned. _Bathilda took care of Charlie?_

"Bathilda is dead. Voldemort killed her," Ana said.

"You knew her?"

"Yes, she was quite a famous witch," Ana said.

"Witch? We never knew she was a witch," her father stated, slightly alarmed.

"Well, it's kinda a secret the Wizards' existence," Ana explained with a smile on her face. She too had to oblige to the Wizard's laws, but, luckily, England is more open-mind about Muggles knowing about the Wizarding community. They even allow marriage between magical and non-magical creatures. And, as Ana was years ago, Muggles are accepted into the community if they mean no harm.

As Ana told her parents all about her world and their amazing achievements, besides what the Death Eater told them, they couldn't help but empathize with such a world, at last. Voldemort was the only Wizard they knew of, but they also met Dumbledore and he was kind. Ana told them about her friends and how well they took care of her and their compassion had increased for the next couple of hours of conversation.

The moment the question they being dying to ask had come, and Ana had to control her emotions as she told them the whole story. She started from the beginning when she had started her training with Severus as her mentor. How their relationship evolved and how she ended up running away from the love of her life. And as she shared her story with them, her parent's heart tightened in their chest. They loved Ana as a daughter, but they always feared she'd turn out to be like the man that had haunted their lives years ago. They wished they could turn back in time and undo some of the things they did to her by fear. But they couldn't.

However, even at her most weak and vulnerable state, they couldn't help but feel proud of what their daughter had become. And most certainly, they wanted to keep her in their lives as long as she wanted it too.


	18. Chapter 18

"So, you can really move things with your mind," Charlie said, sitting by Ana's side on the back porch while watching their father cutting the grass. 

Ana has been there for a week now. Amending her relationship with her parents and making a real friendship with her brother. It was starting to feel like she was home.

She told Charlie she wouldn't use her powers unless she needed to, so he hasn't been able to confirm their existence. But that morning, when their mother had shown up with a tray with orange juice and 4 glasses and tripped over some tools their father was using, Ana immediately stepped in and stopped the glasses and the juice from being wasted. They were all in shock. Her mother thanked her in an awkward manner, but Charlie started celebrating because he saw his sister in action. Even if it just saved a couple of glasses from being shattered.

"It seems so, yes," Ana said, enjoying her orange juice.

"Mum told me about what happened to you... I'm sorry, you went through a lot," Charlie said all of a sudden.

"So did you, because of me," Ana said. "I thought you'd hold a grudge against me or something."

"Nah, not really," he said, relaxing in his chair. "It's nice to have a sister, now I can complain about my parents to someone who understands."

His words made Ana laugh and she noticed ever since she stepped into that house, she did nothing but laugh. She truly felt welcomed by them. Who would have guessed?

"So, do you know what you're going to do? I mean, you can't hide forever."

Ana glanced at him but she simply shrugged, not knowing what to say.

"-- And considering what you told me about that Severus guy, you can't stay away from him. He is the love of your life. Are you really going to let that horrible man push you away from each Severus?" Charlie stated, catching Ana's full attention. "Ana, from all you told us, there's something I am sure. You died. You were stabbed. By your own blood father. And you came back. You could have turned out like that demon, Voldemort, but you didn't. You're kind. And, really, you're a badass. You can overcome anything if you ask me."

"I don't feel badass enough right now."

Ana looked down at her empty glass, striving to believe in Charlie's words, but her mind was still too vulnerable to even process what had happened to her properly, let alone believing she could overcome such hell.

"That's because you're overwhelmed. But you will fight, I know you will," Charlie stated with a confident tone that made Ana look up to him.

"You're a pretty cool brother, ya know?" Ana said, smiling at him.

"I never had a sister before, so I have to do my best."

"You're doing just fine," Ana assured him.

They both smiled and relaxed on the bench, watching their father for the rest of the morning until it was lunchtime.

The TV was turned off as fast as it was turned on. Headlines about the strange disease were on the news every single day. Even though the aura in that living room was good and familiar, whenever the news was on, it became gray and downhearted. Ana's soft smile would fade away completely and the rest of the family would remain quiet, knowing how much she had worked all these months to help and she had to escape before finding how to stop the disease.

Eventually, Charlie would end up making some random funny remarks and she'd chuckle once again.

Over the next couple of weeks, Ana got to know her parents and her brother better and better, improving their relationship like she never thought she would. Even though she had a lump in her throat and a heavy heart, she couldn't help but feel better knowing she had a second chance with her foster family.

She wished several times she could introduce Severus to her family. Wondering if they would get along. Ever since they started living together, Severus had been trying to find her parents in secret, she was well aware of that even though she didn't say anything about it. That said, she had no idea how Aberforth managed to find them, knowing they were hidden by the dark side of the wizarding community, and Ana didn't know if she wanted to find out.

Her mood and her strength had been improving as the days went by. Thoughts and plans started forming in her head, but she knew they weren't enough. Ana had to clear her mind, calm down her emotions, and think straight. If she wanted to go back to Severus, if she wanted her life back, she had to do something. 

Staying away for too long was no answer to her problems, she knew it.

Her beloved and all of her friends were in danger. She was in danger. Her only way out was to get away as far as she could. But she had enough of that. She couldn't go down without a fight.

Everyone depended on her right now, and she had the obligation to fight for them.

"Hey," Ana was snapped away from her thoughts by her father's rough voice. She was sitting on the back porch, staring at the night sky filled with shiny stars and the illuminated full-moon, but she averted her eyes to the bottle in her father's hand. Smiling, she grabbed the beer and drank it immediately. "How are you doing?"

Ana shrugged and stared again at the sky. If she had to be honest, she had no idea. 

"You have to fight, Ana," he said.

"I know."

"You've been through so much, you can't let this continue like this. It's been, what, three months?"

A tear strolled down Ana's cheek, but the knot in her throat prevented her from pronouncing any word.

"Is this Severus the love of your life?"

Ana nodded her head, not knowing how to put into words how much she loved him. It hurt too much to talk about love when she knew she had wrecked it.

"Then, fight for it. Fight for your future," he put a hand on her knee. "I know we left you. You said you understand and you forgave us, but I - I just can't forgive myself. I know I was harsh with you. Sometimes it was like I was someone else and I hated the person I was when it came to you. I mistreated you even though I knew you had no fault. You were just a baby," he said, a tear strolling down his cheek.

His daughter looked up at him and leaned against his shoulder, crying in silence.

"I won't abandon you again," Mr. Gamp said with a stronger tone. "You're my daughter... But I won't let you stay here forever. I want you to fight, Ana. _Fight_."

For 10 minutes they remained quiet. Drinking. Thinking.

Her father's words echoed through every corner of her mind. 

Ana decided it was time to stop crying. It was time to get mad. Time to get powerful again. 

"Could you do me a favor?" She asked all of a sudden, as an idea popped into her mind.

"Anything."

"Call _him_ ," she said, staring into her father's eyes with determination.

Her father needed no explanation about who she was referring to.

"Tell him to find, and bring him to me. To a safe place. Where I can interrogate him."

"It could take time. You said that man was hiding from you," her father replied.

"Yes. But I managed to find you and it was Voldemort's dark magic that hid you. We can find him," Ana replied with a convincing sneer on her face. She knew exactly what to do. It's time to put her powers into action.

"Tell me his name and I will contact him immediately."

Ana felt a knot in her throat. Her lips trembled. But when she managed to speak, her voice didn't fail her.

"Dirk Wright."


	19. Chapter 19

One night, Severus woke up suddenly from a nightmare. He had fallen asleep on the couch during that Saturday afternoon and when he jumped startled, he noticed it was past dinner time. He missed it, but he didn't care, he'd eat something later.

The nightmare tormented him more than his empty growling stomach. And as much as he tried to focus on the book he had been reading the whole weekend to distract himself, he couldn't help but replay the images of his nightmare - the room on fire; hearing Ana screaming for help. That's everything he dreamed about ever since she disappeared. Ana being in distress. In danger. And there's nothing he could do to help. Much like the reality he was living in at the time.

Not being able to take his mind off such an awful dream, he got up and decided a drink was the only thing that would calm him down, even if just for a moment.

When he discerned every bottle in his chambers was empty, he had to close his eyes and take a deep breath to stop himself from destroying everything around him.

Instead, an idea crossed his mind, so, he took his wand, grabbed his coat and left Hogwarts, intending to go to Hogsmeade. There was no alcohol in the school - _that he knew of_ \- so he shall find it elsewhere.

As soon as he was outside Hogwarts' grounds, he disapparated and aparated right in front of Hog's Head Inn.

Aberforth greeted him modestly, apprehending the look on his face. A knot in his throat hindered him from talking to Severus, so he remained in the back room of the bar, feeling all sorts of bad emotions from obscuring the fact that he had seen Ana and knew where she was.

Two hours later, as Severus was still sitting at the bar after being served several drinks - enough to put anyone into an alcoholic coma - Aberforth no longer had the power in him to stay away. He couldn't watch the man destroying himself like that.

"Severus - drinking yourself to death won't do you any good," he stated.

"It keeps the pain more bearable," he replied in a stern tone, without looking up. He continued playing with the Whiskey glass with his hand, spinning the beverage and the ice cubes as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

Aberforth closed his lips in a thin line, wondering if he did the right thing approaching such a wrecked soul.

"It clouds your mind," he insisted.

"It is clouded already," Severus replied, taking a sip of the drink, emptying the glass and slamming it down in the counter, gesturing to the bartender to fill it up again.

The bartender approached Severus with an almost empty bottle of whiskey he had opened when the broody man appeared that night, but Aberforth gestured to his employer, making him halt his pace and walk away without serving Severus. Albus' brother approached Severus and sat on the stool next to him, staring down at the raven-haired man and taking a deep breath before talking again.

"Ana is a clever woman, Severus. And she will return to you."

Severus clenched his fist around his empty glass, bothered by the lack of drink inside of it, and by the man next to him.

"How do you know that?" He suddenly groaned and spat out. "She's gone and I cannot feel her anywhere. I used to feel her wherever she was, but I cannot do that ever since she vanished."

"She might have been closer than you think," Aberforth said under his breath.

Severus didn't look at him. He acted as if Aberforth didn't even speak to him. He went to the Head's hog on purpose, not only because it had alcohol - which he needed - but because Aberforth reminded Severus of his _dear friend_ _Albus_. The friend _he killed_. Perhaps that is why Ana left - the heaviness of what he did took a toll on her and she finally woke up to see the wrong he had done in the past.

Aberforth was so similar to Albus but so different at the same time.

For a moment, Severus wondered too why Albus didn't confide with him about his brother and his family. He did trust him, he was aware of that. In fact, he had asked Albus about his brother and his sister a few weeks ago, during one of his breakdowns, when he went to the ex-headmaster's office. But he wondered why Albus didn't share with him the truth about his past while he was still among the living.

_Seveus went to the ex-headmaster's empty and cold office, which is filled with painful and also happy memories, and looked at Albus' painting. Albus waved at him and smiled, greeting him with a happy voice._

_"Severus, my dear friend!" Then, his brows became furrowed and his eyes narrowed, knowing something was wrong. "What do I owe your visit?"_

_Severus didn't know what to say. He was talking to a picture. Sure, it had Albus' memories. It was the same voice. It had the same gleam in his eyes. But it was not the real Albus. And that was the reason why he didn't reply and turned around to leave instead._

_"Life wasn't fair to you and it still isn't, is it?" Albus' voice made him halt._

_Severus looked back at the portrait and the kind look Albus was giving him made him feel his heart slightly warmer, but breaking a little bit more at the same time._

_"I do know good people have good endings. You will have yours. I can promise you that."_

_Nodding his head, Severus turned around and decided it was time to take some action. So he wrote to Alba and asked her for a favor._

_A week later, as he was more determined to fight, he returned to Albus' office, where he remained sitting on the stairs, talking to him for hours, sharing ideas and deepening how much they knew each other._

_Including everything that happened between him and Aberforth._

_Between him and Gellert Grindelwald._

_Between the three of them and Ariana._

Albus was a man with secrets. Aberforth was no different.

That thought interrupted the memories of Severus' conversation with Albus' portrait, and after processing it in his mind, he raised his eyes at the long-bearded man and put his glass down.

"What is the meaning behind your words?"

Aberforth looked back, repenting what he just said. He didn't answer, though.

"Do you know anything about her?" Severus insisted. His body language changed radically.

"If I do, I will not tell you." Aberforth replied promptly.

Severus remained quiet, dangerously staring at the man, focused on keeping eye contact.

"And you might want to cease mind-reading. You won't get anything from here."

Severus blinked a couple of times - Aberforth was right. Severus wasn't able to access his mind. Was he becoming weaker? Or was Aberforth an Occlumen? Or perhaps it was the effect of drinking alcohol on a daily basis.

Severus groaned in frustration, got up from his seat and pushed Aberforth against the counter. Everyone in the bar gasped, but Aberforth raised his hand to stop his workers from intervening, not daring to take his eyes off Severus. Then, he opened his mouth and spoke in a low and threatening tone.

"Take your hands off me," Aberforth threatened.

Severus finally came to his senses, his hands immediately letting go of Aberforth. He didn't know what had gotten into him. It was Albus' brother! Was he that lost that he would start to attack everyone around him?

Aberforth grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him to the front door slowly, trying to seem calm and without calling for more attention than they already were having. Luckily, the bar was not that full, but the few people present had their eyes glued to the two men.

When they finally felt the fresh air outside, Aberforth sighed.

"Look, I have no idea what happened. I have no idea why she did what she did, but I can tell you this: she is scared. Frightened. But she will come back. I know she will."

"I don't care about your opinion," Severus spat out.

Aberforth stared down at him in deep wonder. An expression of pure sadness, anguish, and, mostly, pity, crossed his shiny blue-greyish eyes as he glanced down at the desperate man in front of him.

"Ana must be truly special. To see past your facade," he ended up admitting. Placing a friendly hand on his shoulder, Aberforth patted Severus on the back. "Go home. Get yourself back together. Wait for her. If you can't, move on. But whatever you do, stay out of my building if you can't stay out of trouble."

He turned around, entered the bar, and slammed the door behind him.

Severus remained in the middle of the street, looking at the closed door.

Rage and despair took over him. Ana had been there, Aberforth didn't admit it in every word he said, but he did leave him clues that he had seen her. Saying she was frightened was enough for him to know he had met her. He talked to her, perhaps. 

Why didn't she come to him, instead? If she was in trouble, why didn't she share it with him? What terrible thing must have happened to her... To make her that scared, to make her leave him? 

So many questions but no answers.

No one seemed to care enough to look for her. Everyone told him to wait, to have faith, to believe she was coming back to him, but he had no signs such words were true.

_She left._

_She left him._

No one understood such pain.

He returned soon after to Hogwarts. His mind was so messed up, he almost missed the package at his chambers' door. It was a big box, and it had a letter with his name on it. He opened the letter immediately, as he was expecting a response from the only person that was indeed trying to help.

_Dear Severus,_

_I apologize for replying to your letter this late. Work has been crazy, moving out of the city and out of the laboratory has taken a toll on our research._

_As you asked, I picked up every piece of evidence and study Ana had worked on ever since I have known her, especially about the Angel's Trumpet Drought. I will send it to you along with this letter._

_I've been through every word she has written and I still can't figure out what happened. Johnny disappeared too. He's not at home. His ex-girlfriend is too broken to even search for him. He simply vanished. So, he cannot give me answers to the questions I had about the strange behavior he had exhibited in the months prior to Ana's disappearance._

_I believe Ana had her reasons for disappearing like that. I know that. She is the best person I know and I also know she wouldn't leave you without having a strong reason. She loves you, Severus. It took me a while to understand what she felt for you as my own heart had been severely damaged before. I haven't been able to believe in love for years but when I met Ana and you, it changed my mind. The way she talked about you... It made me believe it might be someone out there for me, someone who can love me the way she loves you and the way you love her. So, now I ask you to have faith in her._

_My only hope now is that she returns to us safe and sound._

_Please, let me know if there's anything else I can do to help. I will continue searching for any clue about her, but I also have a commitment to my work, so I will deliver you everything I have about her._

_Do not hesitate to talk to me, you know where to find me._

_Sincerely,_

_Alba._

  
Severus opened the package, discarding the letter to the couch.

For hours he analyzed the hundreds of papers and notebooks, heart tightening at the sight of Ana's handwriting.

He dismissed a full night of sleep, but it seems it was in vain. Desperate, Severus pulled his hair back, groaning. It was useless, he couldn't find why she ran. 

At first, he thought Ana eloped with someone else. Johnny, perhaps. Then, when he cleared his mind, he was sure it had something to do with her personal research. It was something she figured out and it put her in trouble. The Angel's Trumpet Drought was the only thing he could think of.

She had told him what she had found out about the herb. She had shared her concerns about going public with her findings, but when the disease started spreading, Ana decided to experiment on such a mythical herb and had to share her success with the rest of the world. 

He wondered if Ana knew they had started to test it on the Wizards who were ill. And it was working. Slowly. But it was working.

It was all because of her restlessness. Because she worked hard to find a cure and, apparently, she did. Hopefully, she knew. Hopefully, wherever she was, she knew her findings were truly helping.

Still, nothing explained why she disappeared.

And her absense had done more damage than he thought. Nothing motivated him anymore. Nothing made him want to wake up every morning. 

_Not even looking for her._


	20. Chapter 20

_Ana felt her entire body shaking with fear. Fearing the outcome of that conversation, it was as if something inside of her warned her it was wiser to fear it. Her previous encounter with Johnny haunted her every hour of her day, but she decided she couldn't allow it to happen again. There was no reason that could justify his behavior._ _That day, Ana was determined to clear things up with him, in one last attempt to understand what happened and why Johnny was acting that way. She was scared not only of the conversation itself but of Severus' reaction once she told him what had been happening._

_This time, she would not freeze. She knew that._

_No matter what Johnny might do, she would act immediately. To protect herself._

_She fought Voldemort. Nothing else could scare her anymore._

_Still, the restlessness she felt was not good. The cold sensation at the bottom of her stomach. The beeping sound inside her head that looked like an alarm._

_Knocking on Johnny's door, Ana took a deep breath as she heard steps inside. She dreaded that moment and, for a fraction of a second, she considered turning around and running. Facing these kind of problems is never an easy thing to do, but she stopped herself from such thoughts._

_When Johnny opened the door, he had his hair all messed up, but the annoyed look he had turned into an amused and dangerous one._

_"Ana, what do I owe your visit?" He tried to sound neutral, but Ana could see through his behavior he was mocking._

_"You know very well why I'm here. We need to talk. And stop that facade, I know you're not the Johnny I knew, not anymore. If you even try anything, I won't hesitate on using my powers against you. Be warned," Johnny straightened up and nodded his head, turning his expression into a more serious one. "Now, will you tell me what the fuck is wrong with you?"_

_Johnny lowered his head and stepped aside, gesturing at Ana to enter._

_Reluctant, Ana obliged._

_"Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea?"_

_"Just water, please," Ana said, not taking her eyes off him._

_He handed her a cup of fresh water and stared at her, as if he was thinking what to say or what to do._

_"You changed, Johnny. And what you did to me the last time we were in the laboratory together was fucked up. I haven't pressed charges, but I will, unless you tell me what's wrong."_

_Johnny sighed and sat at the edge of his kitchen table, his eyes glued to the floor. He avoided eye contact._

_"I'm sorry, Ana. I can't control myself anymore."_

_"What do you mean?" Ana asked in a worried tone._

_"I -- I love you."_

_She blinked several times in utter silence._

_"I fell in love with you and I am completely obsessed with you. I can't spend a day without thinking about you. And that's why my life had turned upside down."_

_"Johnny, I -- I'm sorry. Did I do something to make you think about me that way? I - I ... Your my friend... You know I d --"_

_"I know. I know. It's so hard to be around you..." He looked at her, and she noticed a gleam that looked like when you light up gasoline. "All I want to do is touch you." He approached her slowly, looking at her eyes, at her neck, then at her eyes again. "I did everything to make you look at me differently. I failed."_

_"I'm with Severus, you know that. I love him."_

_"Why?" He asked immediately. "Is he a good fuck?"_

_"What?"_

_"He must be. Why would you be with him?"_

_"Maybe because I love him. Johnny, stop this right now. I don't love you. You're - You WERE my friend, but your behavior wrecked any trace of friendship I felt towards you. I'm really sorry that you fell in love with me, I don't blame you for that, but this behavior has to --"_

_She stopped talking when Johnny started laughing like a maniac. He even leaned forward, his hand supporting his vibrating belly as he continued laughing. Then, something had started changing in his body. It was like he was going through some kind of transformation._

_"Johnny?" Ana asked, concerned about the strange sounds he was making, but at full alert._

_Johnny suddenly fell to his knees. However, his laugh had changed to tone. It was not Johnny's voice anymore._

_Ana put her hand on her shoulders and pulled him back, gasping and tumbling back, away from him._

_"You???"_

_He didn't reply. Instead, he continued laughing._

_"Yes -- Aw, Merlin, you should have seen your face when I told you I love you," the man laughed. "Merlin knows how I had to stop myself from spoiling the moment."_

_He slowly got up, facing Ana and she was able to see his face. It had been years. But it was the same disgusting one._

_"Do you really think I'd love someone like you? You're a petty, disgusting whore. I asked if Severus was a good fuck, but you must the good fuck, otherwise, how would he endure such a whiny bitch?"_

_Ana ran around him, trying to go for the door, but he grabbed her arm and pushed her down to the floor. She hit her head against the living room's table, but she didn't faint. If possible, it roused her attention even more._

_Dirk Wright, the ex-member of the Ministry of Magic, had been locked up in Azkhaban for more than six years. The once suited and clean up man was now wrecked; gray and white beard was growing in a random direction; his hair was messed up, some parts were even bald. And his eyes... His eyes seemed like she was looking at the devil himself. The rage, lust, madness and danger they mirrored were enough to frighten anyone who dared to look at them. And, once again, Ana felt herself frozen. She knew why he was there, why he had returned. He wanted revenge. But she knew he would not kill her. At least not yet. He infiltrated her life without Ana noticing it, he wouldn't kill her just like that._

_"Where's Johnny?"_

_"That garbage must be floating anywhere in the sea. Fish food right now, perhaps," he said in the most diabolical and mocking tone._

_Ana widened her eyes._

_"You killed him??? YOU KILLED JOHNNY?"_

_"SHUT UP!" He yelled, kicking her in her stomach, making her groan in pain. "You're getting what you deserve for what you did to me."_

_"What about what you did to Layla???"_

_"IT WAS NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!!!" He pulled his hair back as if he was desperate._

_"YOU WERE RAPING A YOUNG, INNOCENT GIRL!!! IT'S EVERYONE'S BUSINESS!!!" Ana yelled back, trying to get up. "And why are you back? Are you going to get revenge? Are you going to kill me?"_

_"Kill you?" Dirk started laughing. "No, no. I'm doing much worse. I didn't remain undercover, listening to your stupid stories about how in love you were with Severus, how perfect your life was, just to kill you now. No, I will make you suffer, then you will die. In the end, you will die. But we still have time, honey."_

_Dirk sat on the couch, his foot on Ana's stomach to stop her from getting up. She groaned again in pain. Her belly was throbbing from his kick._

_"At first, I had no idea what I was going to do. But as I worked with you, I made my plan. When you showed us your research about the Angel's Trumpet everything came to me. I thought you'd recognize your own discovery on this "new disease"." Ana widened her eyes. Did he do it? Did he create this horrible disease? Was he responsible for thousands and thousands of deaths all over the world just for revenge? "Of course you wouldn't recognize it. I have improved it myself and I am very proud of it. You were right, Ana. It has an infinite set of possibilities... And I managed to discover many of them."_

_"You're mad..."_

_"No, you made me mad when you sent me to Azkaban!" He roared, making Ana's tears blur her dark eyes. It was all her fault. Everything was her fault. She accused him of the crimes he was committing, of the outrageous thing he was doing to an innocent little girl, but now the world was paying for it. To make matters worse, it was her discovery that provoked such a disease. If she hadn't found the herb, if she didn't meddle with things she shouldn't meddle with, nothing would have happened that way._

_It was all her fault._

_"Now. Do you think I'd finish here? No, of course not. Do you want to hear the best part of my plan?" He pointed at the glass he gave Ana - it was now shattered on the floor beside her. She even cut her hand when she fell since it broke in her own hand. "You just drank another of my most prized poisons. Or jinx. I don't know what to call it. It's not exactly a poison, yet."_

_She widened her eyes, screaming at him, shouting indecipherable things. Dirk pressed his foot harder against her stomach, which made her groan in pain and shut up._

_"I will tell you what it does. And then I will let you go. I advise you not to run and tell what happened. Wanna know why?"_

_As Dirk continued talking, Ana trembled, screamed and tried to run, but to no avail._

_When he finished his confession, he simply left the apartment and left the door open while Ana wailed on the floor - guilty, fear, rage, and anguish taking over her._

_It was her fault._

_It was all her fault._

_And everyone was in danger._

Ana's eyes were filled with rage. She didn't care anymore. If she had to kill the man standing in front of her, she would do it with no reservation.

Her father did what he promised. He used his contact with the remaining Death Eaters to make them look for Dirk, capture him and find a place somewhere in England where he'd be secure, with no chance of running away. The old house he was locked in was somewhat destroyed. It was partially consumed by a fire 10 years ago and it was left to fall rotten to the floor in the middle of a forest - in the middle of a land forsaken by God.

The house was prepared by incantations. Protection. Defenses.

But the part that terrified Ana the most was that it was guarded by the former Death Eaters themselves. The idea of teaming up with them was not likable, but when she used her powers to feel if anyone meant her any harm, she found none. In fact, she found fidelity and compassion, something she thought impossible in a Death Eater. She later found out they were no longer loyal to Voldemort's beliefs, but they respected Ana as she was the blood of his blood. They also feared her powers since she had proven before how mighty she is.

They respected and feared her at the same time.

She was a Riddler, no matter how much she denied it. 

She was Dumbledore.

And she was a Gamp.

Those thoughts made her determined to stop Dirk. Kill him if necessary. Save everyone and, hopefully, save Severus and herself. However, spending the rest of her life with him, she was not so sure if it was possible. She didn't believe he'd want her back. Not after knowing she was guilty of that illness, guilty of so many deaths. If she had shared Johnny's behavior - _Dirk's_ \- with Severus as soon as they started happening, Severus would have seen right through him. She knew that.

Ana allowed fear and guilt to consume her and, because of that, everyone else was paying.

No, she wouldn't allow that to happen anymore.

Dirk's laugh echoed through her mind as she took the hood off her head. He took some time to adjust to the dim light as he had been in complete darkness for two days. No food. No water. No bathroom.

But he still managed to find the strength to laugh.

"Finally, we meet again," he said.

" _Finally_ ," Ana said. "You know why you're here. Where's the vial?"

"What vial?" Dirk asked in a mocking tone, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Don't play games with me. I'm not in the mood," she didn't intend to simply threaten him. No. She couldn't care less if she tortured him to death to get answers - she started by making him feel a mild pain in his head, finding it hard to enter his mind. He groaned a little and she smirked for a second. "Where's the vial?"

"Gone."

"Where?"

"At the place where it's going to make its deed," he simply replied.

"How did you manage to put it in Hogwarts?" Ana asked, not wanting to waste any time.

Dirk had told her, when he revealed himself months ago, that part of his plan was also using a small vial with a highly contagious and fatal poison. It could infect and kill anyone in the vicinity. People, animals, nature. No one would escape within a 10 km radius. One simple drop out of the vial and it was a disaster. He intended to release it on Hogwarts if Ana told anyone about what he was doing to her. About his plan. When she thought he was bluffing, he showed her the vial. The appearance of its content, the color and the texture, it all proved to her he was not playing with her. Hence the fact she had to run away and she couldn't share it with Severus. She knew he would have helped her, stopped it from happening, but what if he wasn't able to? What if they all failed and everyone died because of her?

It was all because she started experimenting on _Angel's Trumpet._ A simple herb, with so many possibilities either for bad or for good. That is why she didn't want to share it with the world yet. She believed it would be the answer to many problems, but she also knew it could be used for terrible, horrible things. And what happened with Dirk was the only proof she needed.

She knew she had followed the rules. In the investigation field, there are certain rules and protocols about confidentiality when the subject of experimentation is sensitive and critical. Such a herb was in that category, so she registered everything she and her colleagues had done, and perhaps, that was her mistake. _Sharing it with them_. God knew when Dirk had switched places with Johnny. God knew how much he had knowledge of.

"Do you think you can hold me here much longer?" Dirk asked her, tilting his head to the side and feigning a pitiful look. "If I don't report back to my ally in a few days, the poison will be released. And there's nothing you can do."

"Who would want to be your ally and such monstrosity?"

"You'd be shocked."

"No - no, you're trying to deceive me... If there's someone helping, either they are crazy much like you, or you deceived that person. Or perhaps -- perhaps you have something against that person and you're making him comply." Ana thought out loud, rambling on. "Who is that person?"

"I will never tell you," Dirk laughed. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Yes, I think you are. You know why?" Ana asked in a low, dangerous tone, approaching Dirk and leaning forward to meet his eyes closer. "You messed with the wrong person."

Dirk started laughing and Ana smirked.

"Are you going to torture me? Kill me? I dare you to do it, nothing you can do to me will hurt, now that I finally got my revenge," he spat out.

"You think you've won?"

"I know I did."

Normally she'd find the answers she wanted by searching in the concealed minds. But somehow, Dirk managed to find a way of blocking any mind controlling, mind-reading or any meddling with his mind. She tried several times to enter his head. She tried to make him weak, hurt him, make him vulnerable enough to tumble his walls down, but she failed. She couldn't do more than that mild pain.

Was she getting weaker? Had Dirk found a way to stop her powers? Perhaps the jinx he had tricked her into drinking had something to do with it.

Ana didn't say anything else. She had what she needed, though - to know where the poison was. It was the most important thing at the moment and knowing it was in Hogwarts was a relief and a worry at the same time. 

She turned around to leave Dirk, asking the Death Eaters to feed him properly, because she had other plans for him.

Processing their conversation, Ana made a final decision. It was time to take action. It was time to fight back.

She had to take the risk. It was time to return.


	21. Chapter 21

The vacant hallways were colder than Ana remembered. School had begun recently and the summer was definitely over, but even though throughout the day the sun was hot enough to raise the temperature, it was still 6 A.M., and the air was freezing. It might have rained during that night too, the floor outside was damp; ice framing on leaves was melting into droplets of water, harmoniously falling to the grass. If Ana wasn't in such a state of mind, she'd be admired by the cold beauty of that morning.

She embraced herself, rubbing her arms to warm up her body. Even though she was trembling, the shivers running down her spine were not due to the cold dawn.

The first sun rays were illuminating the grounds and the way it reflected on her path made her heart become tighter in her chest. 

_She was back._

After almost 4 months, she was back.

If she was not wrong, 6 A.M. was the awakening hour for most of the teachers. They use that hour to prepare themselves for classes and for breakfast. Severus used to wake up that early and should be wandering the corridors soon if he had maintained his routine.

She wondered how much he changed in his life because of her absence.

Shaking her thoughts away, Ana knew she had to march through the corridors as fast as she could. Her objective: Minerva's office.

However, as she walked down the Gargoyle corridor, she stopped in her tracks, freezing in place.

The Stairwell Gargoyle was there, _silent_ , as if it was judging her. Albus' office was a place that had always intrigued her, but since he died she was not able to enter it. She knew Minerva never dared to take it as hers, even though she was the headmistress. It remained there, untouched, as a sanctuary to the man who sacrificed so much to save them. Even his own life.

Yet Ana never found the strength in her to enter, to replay memories - painfully happy memories. The one that haunted her the most was the day Albus called her there to ask her to be his daughter. Probably one of the happiest days and happiest memories in that school.

At the same time, the idea of entering that office reminded her how she had, again, lost another dear person.

But only God knew how she needed Albus' advice.

She truly needed to see him, one more time.

Her steps were hesitant, but when the time came, her voice didn't break.

"Sherbet Lemon," she spoke to the Gargoyle guarding the entrance to the headmaster's office, hoping no one changed the password.

The Gargoyle immediately moved and exposed the circular stairwell.

Ana sighed in relief and, deliberately, climbed up the stairs and watched the dark office being illuminated by the torches on the wall automatically. 

Everything was as she remembered: the filled bookshelves, the strange objects, the noises, the smell... 

The pictures on the wall were sleeping. It was too early to make any noise and risk having them informing the other pictures about her presence. Soon the words of her arrival would reach Severus' ears, and, for now, that was the last thing she needed.

Her eyes wandered every corner of the room, stopping at her father's sleeping figure.

A sad smile appeared on her face, and she had to leave the office, otherwise, she'd speak to him and the pain in her heart told her she would lose all the strength and courage she was gathering to fight back. It was all too painful for her, but God knew how much she needed to talk to Albus. To listen to his voice. 

Perhaps later - when she managed to stop whatever Dirk had started.

Soon after, Ana was hiding inside Minerva's office. She didn't know her password, but after a few seconds of concentration, somehow Ana managed to open the door. She stopped for a moment, hesitating. She remembered that her powers weren't working properly, at least when it came to penetrating Dirk's mind. However, she didn't need much concentration. The Gargoyle protecting the headmistress's office opened all of a sudden. That meant she still had her powers, but they didn't work as well on Dirk. Whether that was good news or not, she was not sure, but at least she still had her powers.

Ana was still learning a lot about her powers, apparently. And perhaps there are more things to know. Only time can tell her.

The large fireplace was not lit and the usually cozy headquarter was cold and only illuminated by the first sun rays coming through the big windows overlooking the training grounds and the Quidditch pitch.

The door to Minerva's bedroom was closed and she heard no noise coming from inside. She was probably still asleep and Ana didn't want to interrupt her well-deserved rest.

That is why she sat on the couch, in front of the fireplace and started a small fire. The color of the fire was somehow comfortable and happier. It lightened and warmed up Ana's pale face. The dark circles under her eyes were a token of how much she slept that night. She truly needed to rest and the heaviness in her eyelids told her she would fall asleep soon enough if she didn't get up immediately.

However, she had no energy in her body anymore, and her eyes slowly closed by themselves. The last thing Ana remembered was dropping her head to the arm of the couch, getting herself more comfortable.

As fast as she closed her eyes, she opened them again, widening them as she saw two blue orbs staring at her from up close. She knew those eyes very well, the last time she saw them they were joyful and grateful, but now, as they narrowed down the reality of the moment, Ana knew they were filled with questions, worries, and, lastly, incredibility.

Minerva left her bedroom half an hour after Ana crashed into her couch. She was still somnolent when she had a glance at the sleeping foreign figure.

For a moment she stood there, watching Ana sleeping, but she approached her not long after making sure she was truly awake and she was not imagining things in her mind. _Ana was really there._

When she placed a hand on the sleeping woman's shoulder and felt the tender and warm flesh, she couldn't help but drop a tear. She brushed a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it under her ear. She had dyed her hair and she cut it. She looked even more stunning. Where the bloody hell had she been?

" _Oh, dear_... Ana?" She called gently, shaking Ana's shoulder slowly. She didn't want to startle the girl who looked in very bad shape.

Ana stirred in her sleep, but she seemed so tired she didn't open her eyes.

"Honey, wake up," she insisted. She couldn't leave without talking to her.

Ana was there. After months of absence, she was there. And if she was there, instead of Severus' chambers, there would be a reason. "Ana!"

Ana's eyes snapped open and she stared and Minerva, not daring to move.

"Minerva --" she gasped in relief.

Ana had no idea how much she missed the headmistress until she laid her eyes on her face.

"Ana??? Is that really you?" Minerva felt like she needed to ask such a question out loud. 

Ana simply smiled. Her smile was weak, exhausted, but, nonetheless, genuine. She missed her.

"Yes, Minerva. It's me."

Without thinking twice, without waiting for answers, Minerva wrapped her arms around her and hugged Ana as tight as she could, overwhelming her with such a strong and meaningful embrace.

"We were all so worried about you!!!" Minera whispered, still clutching her. She pulled away, her hands cupping Ana's cheeks to take a better look at her and examine her tired features. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Minerva. Look, I don't have much time, ok? I need your help. I don't have time to explain and even if I had, I can't right now. I need you to put your trust in me and help me. Hogwarts' safety is at stake." Ana didn't waste any time. She would give her all the answers she wanted later, but she needed to get to work, even though she felt her body weakening at every move.

"What do you need from me?" She asked, reluctantly, eyeing Ana in a wary manner, as if she was not certain of what her eyes were seeing.

"I need all of your student's records," Ana immediately said.

Without asking, Minerva nodded her head. She knew how Ana was similar to Dumbledore - she'd never tell her what was happening if she asked. If Ana had any intention of telling her the reasons for her disappearance, she'd do it spontaneously. So, she walked to a hidden part of the office and showed her a big book with every student's records.

With a lost expression, Ana approached the book, not knowing what to look for.

"I have classes to attend, Ana," Minerva said. "You can stay in my office until night. Then, I'll give you a proper bed to sleep in. You look like you need one."

"Thank you, Minerva," Ana said.

Nodding, Minerva walked to the door, her hands shaking at the intensity of the moment. A person who had disappeared for half a year was back, in her office, with strange requests. Ana looked at a whole different person at that moment. Not just because of her appearance, but because of the energy she transmitted. She was so different.

"Minerva --" Ana made her halt her pace and interrupt her thoughts. "Please, don't tell anyone I'm here. Especially Severus."

"Ana, Severus needs to know. Do you have any idea how wrecked he is?" It seemed like Ana's words had struck a nerve on Minerva. But God knows what Minerva has seen. Severus was broken, and, as much as she and the people who care for him and for Ana tried to help him, he continued falling into a deep and depressing hole. All because Ana left him. Left them all. Without giving them any sort of sign she was alright.

Ana looked down, taking her eyes off the book. She tried to seem as strong as possible since she entered Hogwarts, but the moment Minerva talked about Severus, she couldn't hold her emotions anymore. She broke down and buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

Minerva shed a tear at the sight and wished she knew how to help. But she felt impotent.

She had promised Albus she'd take care of his daughter and watching as Ana fell to the floor on her knees made her realize how miserably she had failed.

Immediately, she walked to the spot where Ana was and embraced her in another tight and deep hug. For five minutes the only thing that could be heard were Ana's sobs. And as tighter as Minerva was hugging her, nothing could calm her down.

Between sobs, Ana tried to talk. Minerva barely understood but she listened.

"It's my fault! It's m-m-my fault! Severus will n-ever forgive me... He'll never want to-to look at my face ever again... I - I screwed this up -- I fucked up. It's all my fault, Minerva... If I didn't play with - with what I sh-houldn't... It's all my fault..."

Minerva rubbed Ana's back in circles as she continued.

"I h-had to do it. I had to... For him, for me... The students -- Oh, God, I abandoned everyone... I -- I had to... Please, believe me, I had to --"

"Ssh, Ana," Minerva tried to make her stop, otherwise, she was certain the girl would faint. When she heard glasses tinkling and a slight vibration on the ground, she knew Ana's emotions were taking the best of her. "It's ok. I'm here."

"I'm sorry -- I'm so - so sorry."

"Yes, I know, I know, my dear." She rubbed her back more quickly, praying for Ana to calm down, otherwise, she'd take the walls down. "Look at me, Ana."

But Ana was incapable of listening. She was sobbing and talking gibberish. She was no longer in control of herself. So, Minerva only saw one way of catching her attention.

"Ana Dumbledore, you look at me right now!" She scolded her, making her stop and look up with her red tearful eyes. Ana calmed down immediately, and the noises and vibrations surrounding them ceased all of a sudden. Minerva sighed in relief. "Ana, you overcame the most horrible things I can think of in your past. And you can overcome whatever is happening. It will all end well, but you need to calm down and think properly. I know you had no escape, otherwise, you'd never, ever, leave Severus like that. And when you come forward and tell us what happened, I am certain Severus will not be capable of not forgiving you. He loves you _so_ much, Ana."

"I know -" she whimpered.

"You'd forgive him, wouldn't you? Whatever your reasons are - if it was the other way around -, wouldn't you forgive him?"

"But I hurt him, Minerva. I hurt him so much," Ana whispered. "How can he forgive me? I know I've broken him -- I - I felt it... I feel him, right now. He's close and he is torn apart... I did it..."

"Ana, _dear_ , there is nothing you could do to make that man love you less. Nothing, I promise you," Minerva said. "Now, focus, Ana. You need to focus. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Ana thought for a second.

"Yes. Is my laboratory still the same?"

Minerva smiled weakly.

"I didn't let anyone touch it while you were away."

"Thank you," Ana smiled sadly. "I'll need to use it..."

"Of course," Minvera narrowed her eyes, not asking any more questions.

Five minutes later, Minerva left the office and strolled through the corridors, to the Transfiguration class she was already late for. Her heart was beating quickly inside her chest and she knew she wasn't going to be able to make a proper work, but she had to - she had to make an effort as she promised Ana no one would know. Even when she crossed paths with a wrecked Severus walking to Potion's classroom, she chewed on her lower lip and swallowed her cry. She couldn't tell him. At least not for now. She had to give Ana a chance to do what she needed to do.

She intended to keep herself as far from her own office as possible. She wanted to give Ana space, but she also wanted to be there for her and make sure she didn't disappear again.

On the other hand, she had a school to run, so she had to keep herself preoccupied for the rest of the day, trying her best to keep her mind off Ana.

Several times she had the chance to warn Severus about Ana's presence. She had talked to him about a situation regarding a student having an extremely bad behavior that was triggering Severus' broody past self - before Ana - and making it even worse than it ever was. He told her he'd solve the matter with his own hands if Minerva didn't act, but since it was almost dinner time and Minerva wanted to give Ana some food, she said she'd meet him later to discuss the matter.

After dinner, Minerva rushed out of the Great Hall, visiting the kitchen to grab a few things before marching through the corridors and entering her office not long after.

"Hello, dear, I brought you dinner," Minerva said, startling Ana.

"Thank you, Minerva," Ana said, immediately attacking the food. "I was starving."

"I can see that," she smiled. "So, any luck in finding whatever you were looking for?"

"No," Ana sighed in defeat, her body sinking in the chair. "I haven't and I barely even analyzed the records. There are too many students, and, honestly, I don't know what to look for."

"Maybe I can help you," Minerva said. "Oh, oh, or the elves! I can ask the elves! They are very quick and smart. And you could rest."

Ana considered her idea and it didn't seem crazy. She did need to rest and she knew the elves were wise creatures - enough to know how to keep a secret.

While Ana wrote a paper with suggestions about what she needed to find out, Minerva snatched the record books and the paper and walked to the office door, intending to go to the kitchen to ask the elves for help.

"I have a room for you, so when I come back I can take you there to rest," Minerva said, smiling when she saw Ana sitting on her couch, yawning and stretching her body in a comfortable way.

"Thank you, Minerva. I'm reall --"

A knock on the door interrupted both Ana and Minerva and Ana jumped back startled, already knowing who was on the other side.


	22. Chapter 22

As soon as Ana hid behind the darkest corner of Minerva's office, the door snapped open and the room was invaded. Ana's heart was racing inside her chest knowing she barely escaped being seen, but when she overheard the deep crusty voice she fantasized about every night, she felt a choking knot around her throat and a numbing sensation in her stomach.

Severus was mere meters apart from her.

Ana's heart implored her to run into his arms. To get on her knees and ask for forgiveness. To look into his eyes, deep into his soul, and tell him she loves him, body, and soul. A sentiment she didn't believe she would ever be blessed enough to feel. A deep connection to someone's heart and being aware that you are loved more than the universe itself deemed possible.

Though she was well aware she couldn't simply show up like that, as if nothing had happened, it would be too much of a shock - for Severus and herself.

So she remained in utter silence in the corner, crying soundlessly as his voice filled her ears and increased the pain in her heart. He sounded crushed, broken - as if all the happiness in the world ceased to exist. _Or if it never existed_. When Severus talked to her, when he still had her in his life, she could feel the joy he had in his heart, even when his face masked otherwise. However, at that moment, Ana felt like she was punched in her stomach, stabbed in her heart, and bathed in icy cold water.

"Mr. Anderson is playing with fire Minerva," Severus growled with rage. Minerva was slightly abashed by how red his eyes were. His usually dark shiny eyes were filled with wicked flashes of how his soul had soured. It was as if he was burning inside and the redness around his iris was mirroring his heart.

"Let's get some fresh air," Minerva strived to push him out of her headquarters, but Severus brushed her arms off of him.

"No, you have been avoiding this conversation and I am foretelling you what is happening in case he continues in this school," he continued arguing.

Minerva sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to get him out of there. Her mind drifted to Ana and how she was feeling hearing her beloved's voice.

"What did he do this time?"

"What he --?" Severus stopped talking all of a sudden, his eyes focusing on a single spot on the wall, while Minerva watched his eyes narrowing as if he was trying to hear or feel something. Eventually, Severus came to his senses and continued rambling on about the troubling student, until he got to the point that had triggered that deranged behavior. "He disrespects the other students, even the ones in his own house. He disrespects the staff. His teachers. A - Ana."

"Ana?" Minerva asked, appalled.

"Yes. Yes. Ana," Severus continued explaining the things the boy had done. Including the fact that the last drop was when Anderson talked about Ana vanishing, saying Severus was so grumpy and boring that Ana, such a "hot chic" eloped with a younger man, who could keep her "satisfied". A couple of students that were empathic with Severus' situation, grabbed Severus' arms when he launched himself at the kid, ready to kill him with his bare hands. Not that what he said was a complete lie, Ana could very well be with someone else more appropriate to her. Someone younger, less filled with darkness. Someone who could let her in completely. Someone with no dark secrets. Someone who didn't murder the man that she called her father for a couple of months.

Still, Ana was no mediocre woman to be talked about with such an offensive tone.

Ana bit her own hand to keep her from sobbing aloud as she heard the love of her life breaking down at the end of his argument.

"I don't know what to do anymore," she managed to hear Severus' murmur. "I am _exhausted_."

"You can take a few days off to rest, Severus," Minerva said, fighting her own tears. If only she could tell him Ana was there. If only he could call her name and make her amend things. All that was at the distance of just a couple of words, yet, she couldn't do that, Minerva couldn't betray Ana like that. She trusted her. Fully.

Severus nodded his head, though.

"No --" He said, stopping again and looking around him. He was feeling a familiar feeling around him. An odd aura he couldn't quite pinpoint. He shook his head again. "-- No, I am tired of this life. _My life_."

"Severus, Ana will return to you, I am sure," Minerva said, trying to talk louder for Ana to hear. "I beg you to have faith in her as I do."

"What if she does not want to come back?" He asked, catching Minerva off guard. Her heart tightened. If those words managed to break her heart, she could not imagine how devastated Ana was hearing them.

"Nonsense!!!" Minerva scolded him. "She loves you, Severus. I believe she left for a reason, a strong one. And she will come back! If there's someone more stubborn than you or Albus, it's Ana. She is the daughter of her father. And she also learned a couple of things from you. _Trust. Her._ "

Severus, who had sat on the stairs to the office area, looked up at Minerva who kneeled by his side, her hand rubbing his shoulder.

"Now, regarding Mr. Anderson, I will ask Mr. Filch to find him right away and we will solve this now," Minerva said, getting up.

"Filch was outside with the cat," Severus grumbled.

"Oh, let's ask him then," she rushed out of the office, praying silently for Severus to follow her. 

However, Severus got up but stood in the middle of the office. It was as if there was something stopping him from walking away. Some invisible force complying him to stay in that same place. He looked around, narrowing his eyes at that peculiar aura hovering the walls around him, but there was nothing strange there.

Still shaken by the conversation he had with Minerva, Severus wiped away a silent tear that escaped his eyes and took a second before marching to the open office door.

Ana was taking controlled deep breaths to keep herself quiet. She could feel her powers burning inside of her for release since she concealed all of her emotions at the same time. It was like she was a volcano ready to explode at any moment, and she was trying to drag that event until Severus was out of the headquarters. But as she followed Minerva and Severus' conversation, her heart and her soul were breaking even more. She didn't know she could feel more wrecked than she already was.

With each tear that fell from his cheeks to the floor, Ana was feeling destroyed, little by little, drop by drop.

She felt every inch of her body shaking, trembling as if an earthquake was forming deep into her.

Through the gaps between the books and the upper shelf, Ana's eyes followed Severus in each step he took towards the door. When he stopped and looked around him, her heart skipped a beat when, in the dark corner, she made unintentional eye contact with him, even for the briefest of moments. In such a curt moment Ana felt their connection getting stronger once again as if she never left, and, by the narrowing of his eyes, he felt it too.

As she saw him walk away, and before she could even stop herself, his name escaped her lips in an audible whisper. The way each letter unrolled in her tongue, the way it sounded aloud, it seemed like she was back into her usual dreams, where she and Severus were never apart, where she'd say his name in his ears, followed by an _I love you_.

She was not in her dreams, though.

And Ana's voice filled Severus' ears, echoing to his heart. At that moment he knew he wasn't hallucinating. The strange but familiar aura he felt that morning when he woke up, and the sensation he felt when he entered Minerva's office, everything made sense to him now when Ana showed herself.

"A-Ana," Severus whispered, his brows furrowed, his heart beating faster than ever. Every inch of his body was trembling with this strange electricity. A strange feeling of pure adrenaline. He was not dreaming. He was not imagining things. Ana was there.

Ana covered her mouth as soon as she realized he heard her and she knew she had no escape. She had to make her presence known. So, she stepped out of the darkness once and for all, not being able to pronounce a single word when Severus finally looked at her. Under his confused, sad, angry look, she didn't know what to say. Even if she did, she was crying so much she couldn't even say anything audible.

He narrowed his eyes, staring at the woman sobbing in front of him, and scrutinized every little piece of that sight. She was so different. So much thinner and tired. And the hair... It was so different but it made her look even better - if that's possible.

Severus imagined that moment hundreds of times in his head. He planned what he would say, what he would do, but as he stood there, nothing came into his mind. Nothing mattered anymore. She was there. Ana was there.

"You're here," Severus muttered. His stern voice was now soft, weak as if he had no strength.

Ana nodded her head and tried to force herself to say anything, instead of just staying there, soundless.

"I'm h-e-re," she gulped. Then, an urge to cry came over her again and she broke down. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

In his mind, Severus would embrace Ana in his arms. So tightly she would never leave again. But as she wailed in front of him, he froze. As if he didn't feel anything anymore. Nothing could hurt him anymore.

"I d-didn't h-a-ave a choice," she continued.

"What happened? Why did you leave???" He asked, his voice getting stronger at last.

He took a step closer to her, gradually approaching her. Carefully, suspiciously, as if she was on the verge of attacking him.

Ana nodded her head. "I can't tell you... Not yet."

"You have to tell me!" He said even more sternly, closing the gap between them even more. Ana was at the top of the two-steps stairs and Severus was at the bottom, looking up at her.

"I can't..." She replied. "I can only tell you something really bad is happening and I can't tell you because I don't want you to get hurt... I'm scared... I'm so scared, Sev--"

Severus didn't hesitate anymore. He climbed up one stair, setting himself at Ana's eye level, and finally, cupped her cheeks, his eyes filling with tears as he admired her beautiful face.

"Don't be scared... Tell me what's wrong..."

Ana melted when she felt his touch, when she felt his thumb caressing her skin. She gasped at the contact as if she was thirsty for so many weeks and, finally, she was tasting fresh and clean water.

Severus was her oasis.

Nodding her head, she whispered. "I can't... It's bad... So bad..."

"Ana... Please..."

She looked him in the eyes, for a second, looked down at his lips, and back to his eyes. Nodding, Ana took a step back, away from his touch.

"I can't... I can't, I'm so sorry," she said.

"No!!!" He grabbed her shoulders roughly and shook her. "You can't simply show up and don't tell me why you left me! _Why?_ Why did you leave me???"

"I did something bad... So bad... It's all my fault!" Ana cried as Severus shook her, more gently this time. 

His deranged look softened somehow, giving space to hurt and sadness.

"Did you... Is there... Is there someone else???"

"What?" Ana furrowed her brows.

"Did you elope with another man? I've been thinking about this over and over again, I - " his voice broke a little and he whispered, not giving her a chance to speak. "I asked myself what I did wrong to make you go away... I simply need to know.. I - I'd do anything to correct it, to make you come back to me... Even if you cheated on me, I'd accept you back because you mean so much more to me than my pride."

Ana gathered the courage to push him away from her with both her arms, much to his shock.

"Are you mad???" She growled. "Who do you think I am? Don't you know me at all??? I'd never cheat on you! You are the love of my life, Severus." He was not expecting that outburst, and he tilted his head slightly to the left, searching for any clue that she was lying. He found none. "I will never want another man, even if you don't forgive me for running away. But I did what I did because I didn't have a choice. Because I have to protect you. All of you!"

For a moment, Severus didn't reply.

He simply analyzed what Ana said.

Then, with a dry voice, he spoke. "You hurt me so much... You broke me, piece by piece... I don't know if I can forgive you --"

"- I know," Ana released a sob she had been holding for too long.

"-- But I want to," he finally said, closing the gap between them, and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Burrying his face on her neck, Severus inhaled her sweet perfume, feeling like he could faint at any moment.

And when Ana pulled away and took a step back, it felt like the whole world crashed on top of him, harder this time.

"I can't... I can't be near you..." 

"Why?" A sob escaped from his lungs too and a tear rolled down his cheek in a slow and agonizing motion.

Ana stared at him for a moment, then turned her back.

"I can't."

"Why???" He groaned aloud.

"Please, I beg you to respect what I am saying. I can't be near you right now and I can't tell you why," she said sternly.

"How am I supposed not to be near you if you returned? You're here!" He barked back.

"You'll have to make an effort," she knew he was broken inside, but she was becoming mad at him, at his insistence. She thought he'd know her better. "You have to find a reason to hate me now."

Severus' austere expression dissolved all of a sudden.

He nodded his head. "How can one hate the woman he loves the most? Even if you had another man in your life, I'd be stupid enough to accept you because my life has meaning when you are in it. Why is it so hard to understand that?"

"It is not hard because I feel the same and that is exactly why I left and why I cannot be with you right now. God knows how much I want to -- to have you," Ana couldn't help but melt too and allow her heart to speak instead of her reasoning.

"So why are you resisting? Have me! Have it all, I beg you," he neared her immediately, grabbing her hand and kissing it. Planting several kisses on it, as if he was worshiping a God's hand, he continued kissing all the way up to her wrists, her arms...

"Sev, please... Stop this..." She whispered, trying to stop him from kissing her anymore. She couldn't allow him to be too close, otherwise, she wouldn't have the courage to stay away. She had to stay away, no matter what. If she wanted to have a chance for a future with him, she had to stay away from him for now. "I promise you, I will return to you as soon as I figure out how, but I - I fear that --" The broken look in Severus' eyes made her stop whatever she was saying. Not being with him made her feel like she was living in hell, but there was no other way. And if he knew the truth, he knew she was right. Nevertheless, she couldn't break him even more at that moment, so she relaxed her posture and gave him a weak and sad smile. "I love you... God, _I love you so much_... It's a blessing to feel this way, but it's also a curse."

"Tell me what's wrong," he asked in a begging tone.

"I can't... I have to figure it out on my own," she said, tears cascading from her eyes so easily.

"Why can't I help you?" He insisted. "I lo --"

At that moment, Minerva walked back into her headquarters, halting her pace as soon as she saw such a sight, Severus and Ana grabbed onto each other, crying. It made her heart heal a little, but also break a bit more.

However, she knew Ana had work to do. 

Clearing her throat, the headmistress spoke aloud.

"Ana, I have prepared what you asked me," Minerva said, making them both look at her.

Severus' broken look turned into a deranged one, once again.

"Did you know?" He growled. "Do you know what is going on? Are you hiding anything from me?"

"Severus, I -" She tried to speak, to explain herself, but Severus cut her.

"You saw how I was wrecked and you didn't tell me anything!"

"Minerva doesn't know anything," Ana said in a higher tone than the two people in front of her, ready to argue with each other. "I came here just a couple of hours ago and I asked her not to tell you or anyone that I'm here."

Her words seemed to have shattered Severus' heart for good. He looked so devastated at Ana.

"W - Why? Do I mean that little to you?" He whimpered.

"Sev -- " Ana tried to speak, but before she knew it, Severus had made his way out of the headquarters, so quickly that Ana didn't even have time to process what she was saying or go after him.

Instead of moving, Ana stood there, crying, sobbing.

Why didn't she just kiss him? Show him how much she loved him, how much she meant every word? It would be just one kiss, it couldn't hurt anyone.

 _No, I can't_. She put her heart back into its place. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop until she extinguished the never-ending fire inside of her, craving for her beloved's touch.

So, she remained there and didn't dare run after him.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Minerva whispered angrily, her eyes puffy.

Her words made Ana snap back to reality.

She looked at the headmistress and sighed.

"I don't know what I am doing, Minerva. But I have to do it anyway... It's the only chance I have to be with him again. If that's even possible anymore."


	23. Chapter 23

After the heavy encounter in Minerva's office, Ana remained locked in her laboratory, sleeping in some chambers the headmistress offered to her temporarily. The house-elves who were helping her find whoever might hold Dirk's vial were also thoughtful enough to bring her lunch, diner, and some snacks, even though Ana told them they did not need to be so kind to her. 

During the day Ana would work with the elves, searching through every student's records - even though they had no idea what to look for. The big books the headmistress had in her office contained not only personal details such as names and age but also information about entries and exits of each student. Ana searched for anything that might be a clue. At night, Ana was in her laboratory, analyzing her blood, searching for something that might help her find a cure to the poison Dirk had given her. In her laboratory, she had the finest tools and if there was something she could do, she would certainly find it in there.

Several times, Ana wondered if Severus could help her analyze the blood. He is a Potions' Master after all. He knows about things Ana can't even imagine, even though she had turned out to be an amazing healer and scientist, so, logically, he could be a great help. However, she was well aware she wouldn't have the courage to ask him. It also meant she'd have to spend time with him, and that would kill both inside. Being so close and distant at the same time...

No, she couldn't hurt him like that.

"Ma'am," one of the elves said on the second day they worked together. Ana looked up from the page she was reading. Ana used to sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night, when she was hungry and the elf would serve her with delicious food and would talk with her about everything. She spent hours talking to her. Nikki was the elf's name, and she was very shy, but when Ana was around, Nikki simply opened up. It seemed like it all happened in another life. "May I zpeak?"

Ana's expression softened a little.

"Of course, you can. You don't need my authorization to speak," she said, showing a weak smile.

"Uh - I azk you why you zo sad," Nikki asked.

"I wish I could tell you, Nikki," Ana replied, caressing Nikki's head.

"'Dat iz why you changed your hair?" She pointed at Ana's shorter and blonde hair. "Pretty."

"Do you like it?" Ana asked and Nikki nodded. "Thank you... I'm sad because something bad happened and I don't know if I am going to figure it out. I have put my friends in danger. But I didn't want to."

Nikki climbed up to Ana's desk just to be able to caress her cheek and wipe the single tear that rolled down.

"Don't be zad. You will be ok," Nikki said, making Ana smile more this time.

"Can I ask you something?" Ana said, and Nikki nodded. "If anything bad happens to me, will you make sure you find out who's the person we're looking for and hand this to Minerva and this one to Severus?" She took two sealed envelopes from one of her drawers and handed them to Nikki. "You can only give it to them if something happens to me before we find out who it is we are looking for, otherwise, you will destroy it, deal?"

The elf agreed and soon after, Ana was back in her laboratory, back to her research to find a cure for her own condition.

It was the second night she investigated the blood in her laboratory, but an idea popped into her mind. An experiment she learned while working with Alba and Johnny - she missed working with them and remembering that she could never work with Johnny again made her interrupt the silent night with a sudden sob she didn't know she was holding. Not only was the world paying because of her, but one of her dearest friends had been murdered because of some sick personal revenge.

How would she be able to move on from such nightmare if she ever finds out how to solve it? How would she move on from there? 

She couldn't bring the dead back to life, that's for sure, but at least, she could do everything to stop Dirk once and for all.

Shaking her head and clearing her mind, Ana double-checked her notes.

She was right. She had to do that experiment, but she needed some potions she didn't possess in her laboratory. Wondering where the hell she could find out where to find such potion or its ingredients in the middle of the night, Ana froze in place.

_Severus' personal store room._

It was filled with lots of ingredients, both common and rare...

If only Ana could go there without being detected, especially by the owner. Even if she did manage to gather what she needed, how would she prepare a potion?

Asking Severus for help was out of the question. It was already late, so the elves were asleep and Minerva was too. No one else was aware that she was back.

Shrugging, Ana made the decision to act first, think later, hence the fact she ran through the corridors, entered Severus' store room and climbed up the stairs, to find the ingredients she needed. Luckily, she had spent a lot of time helping Severus catalog his ingredients, so she knew her way around. 4 small leaves from 4 different trees, 1 feather from a rare bird, and a liquid that she barely remembered its name, were all that she borrowed from Severus.

She returned to her laboratory, locked herself in there and took a deep breath when she realized she had managed to sneak out and back to her office without being caught.

Without thinking twice, Ana picked a cauldron from the shelf, cleaned its dust and prepared the potion, just like she was taught. It was perfect, absolutely perfect, and Severus would have been proud of her if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't know how to perform the spell she is supposed to in order to make it work.

 _Hell_ , she didn't even know if it was going to work, but, still, she closed her eyes and lifted both her hands on top of the steam coming from the boiling cauldron, feeling it forming droplets of water in her palm. Ana focused deeply on what she was doing, and, for a moment, everything around her stopped working... The clock on the wall worked no more. The boiling sound was replaced by an earsplitting silence - how was it possible? Ana didn't know, but that silence was more painful to her than a loud thunder crashing on her head.

When Ana finally opened her eyes, she gasped. The potion turned into a bright purple mixture all of a sudden.

_It worked!_

"It worked!!!" She said out loud, jumping up and down. 

_I can make potions!!!_

That was another thing she didn't know she was able to do. When she wasn't able to enter Dirk's mind, she thought she was getting weaker, but now she was sure she was not weak. She was discovering different skills from time to time, and she was delighted and frightened at the same time with all the possibilities. Severus did say once that if a person is able to do something like Soul Projection, the only thing she wasn't able to do was bring back the death. The sky was the limit, but not anymore.

Without thinking twice, she dropped her blood sample in the potion and mixed it, until it boiled for 5 minutes and 2 seconds, precisely.

However, when she put it under the microscope, Ana couldn't tell what she was seeing. It was her blood, her normal blood, but, at the same time, it was different. She knew the potion she mixed it with had revealed the poison behind it, but it was as if she didn't know what she was seeing.

Sighing, Ana gave up that night. 

She glanced at the clock and decided to leave the laboratory and go to sleep. The room Minerva offered to her was ok, but it was nothing compared to the lovely chambers she shared with Severus.

She missed sleeping in their bed, in his arms... She missed him so much. All she wanted to do was turn around and go back to their chambers, to sleep in her own bed... 

She shook her head and continued walking to her room, stopping at the feeling that someone was watching her and looking around for any signs of life. It has been like this ever since she started going to that room alone at night.

Since she saw no one, she entered the room and went straight to bed, to sleep, not thinking about it anymore.

***

Five days after returning to Hogwarts, Ana had no idea what she was looking for, she had no idea what she was seeing in her blood, as many experiments as she did, and she was losing all hope. To make matters worse, Severus had taken a few days off work and no one knew if he was in the school or if he had left. He didn't teach his classes, he didn't show up at meals' time and no one saw him wander the corridors. Still, Minerva was sure he wouldn't leave just like that.

Trying not to think about it, otherwise, she'd be anxious the whole day, Ana got up that morning, her hope diminishing a little with each step she took back to her office. Her mind only thought about one thing and one thing only: she was doomed and she doomed everyone around her, there was no other way of putting it into words.

That day, she gave the elves a tip about something Dirk had said during the hours of interrogation she had with him. He had insisted on something about using innocent love to destroy her and something clicked on Ana's mind that morning. She decided it was time to put the student records to the side and talk to each student and staff at that school, interrogate them about interactions with someone from outside.

In the meantime, she went to the other part of her office, her laboratory, to continue taking notes and doing experiments.

There was one last thing she could try. One last chance.

She still had samples of the Angel's Trumpet in her store room, and she thought about using it as an antidote to whatever was in her blood, but she still needed a few days to have it completely prepared to be tested. She'd have to endure the pain of not being able to tell Severus the truth, of not being able to go back into his arms, to give in.

At the realization of her possible future, Ana broke down for the first time since she had started working in her laboratory. Usually, the laboratory was filled with elves, helping her, or, at least, distracting her from her painful truth, but that night the office was empty, silent, cold. She was home at last, and she was alone, all alone.

Ana never felt such emptiness, even when she ran away.

As the tears cascaded down from her eyes, the sobs interrupted the silent night. As much as she wanted to stop, to put herself back together, she couldn't, it was stronger than her. Her mind was her worst enemy at the moment and, the worst part is that she was losing all faith and all hope for a solution. 

Ana slid down to the floor, her back against the counter. She buried her face in her hands and pressed them down against her knees, crying until she had no more tears left. Until there was no more strength to move. She even felt everything around her vibrating slightly, and she knew that, for a moment, she lost control of her powers, _again_.

So much power, so many abilities, and none of those could help her.

Slowly, her sobs ceased and she remained there, almost curled up into a ball, grabbing her knees with her eyes closed. She didn't think of anything, her mind was too debilitated to concoct any thoughts.

"Fifth night here and I still can't figure out why you stole from my storeroom or what is your object of study," a deep voice coming from the open door to her office interrupted the silent night and startled Ana.

Her heart tightened at the sound and the knot in her throat returned.

"I'm sorry I stole from you... I was going to tell you, but you were nowhere to be seen," Ana said, looking up to the love of her life.

The look in his eyes killed her even more.

"Now you know the feeling," Severus said, the venom and bitterness in his voice explicit to Ana.

His words felt like daggers, and she immediately got up only to turn around from him, not wanting to cry again in front of him. How can one have so many tears to cast?

Taking a deep breath, Ana pretended she was getting back to work, ignoring Severus' presence.

When his stare became too much to bear, Ana punched the table.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"I don't know," he simply replied. "I felt something unusual. A newfangled vibration and supposed it emanated from here. Can you produce earthquakes now?"

Ana muffled a laugh.

"If you knew what I can do now..."

"Enlighten me," Severus said, curiousity getting the best of him. She was his apprentice after all.

Ana felt the knot in her throat tightening around her neck, preventing her from talking. She cleared her throat and forced her voice to come out. Nevertheless, she didn't look at him.

"I - uh - can change the weather," she said. "I can cause storms, apparently."

Severus narrowed his eyes. He remembered a strange abrupt and strong weather change a few months ago. However, he decided not to ask.

"Oh, and I can make potions now!" She said, the excitement of the discovery betraying her posture.

"Hence the stolen ingredients," Severus muttered.

"I didn't know I could do it when I decided to -- _borrow_ your ingredients... I did it first and thought afterward," Ana confessed. "I was going to ask for help, but then I found out I could do it myself... so... there's that..."

Severus inhaled deeply, trying to control his nerves and his anxiety.

After a few seconds of silence, he continued talking. For a man who used to stay mute as a rock, he was talking too much that night.

"You could have asked me for help," he stated.

Ana sighed and stopped whatever she was doing, she didn't even know what she was doing. Her mind was diminished to the size of a pea with Severus presence.

"You can help now," she said all of a sudden.

Severus' posture seemed to have become more tense, but he waited for Ana to continue. She turned around, not sure if she had decided the right thing, but who was the best person to help her to find out a cure or at least figure out the right path? All she needed was to have self-control and hope Severus has too. Ground rules should be established.

"You could help me, if you want. But you can't ask me any questions other than what's truly necessary," she said sternly. "Nor anything personal... At least not yet."

Severus stared at her for a moment, his eyes searching for something in hers. He wasn't thinking, he wasn't considering helping her or not, he was just admiring her features.

"Hey," Ana snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, putting her hands on her hips in the lovely way she used to do. "Wanna help me or not?"

Severus returned to reality and nodded his head.

"Good, now, what can you tell me about this sample of blood?" She gestured to the counter and for almost one hour they had shared impressions about the sample and tested different kinds of potions and experiments on it, to see its effects.

They took many notes and it seemed like everything around them ceased to exist. They lived for that moment, that precious moment. The pain in their hearts was still there, increasing with both proximity and distance they were experiencing, but it was also eased every time they looked at each other.

Ana shared her idea of testing Angel's Trumpet as an antidote, which made Severus think back to when he analyzed the notes Alba shared with him and something came to his mind.

He looked again at the sample of blood, took his wand out and said some gibberish, casting some sort of spell that she didn't recognize. Ana asked him what he was doing, but Severus ignored her making a sound of approval as if he was confiming some silent theory he had organized in his mind.

"Take notes," he said, enumerating some ingredients he might have identified in the sample, thanks to the strange spell he made. After five minutes, he was done, not being able to identify anything else. When he looked at Ana, her brows were furrowed as she focalized on the notes she took. 

"Whose blood is this?" Severus asked at last.

Ana looked up at him, lifted a brow, and Severus raised his hands in defeat, knowing she wouldn't reply.

"Anyway, whoever that blood is, the potion is new and I cannot identify it thoroughly. From what I learned now, it has a powerful killing trait but it is conditioned by some kind of variable..." Severus explained. "It means it is absolutely harmless until something triggers it and that is what's important to discover."

"So... if I know what can trigger it, is there any way I can find out how to revert it?"

"In theory, yes. But since I have never laid my eyes on such a poison, I cannot affirm with full conviction," he said, his heart racing as Ana approached him, but leaned against the microscope she was using. She was mixing wizard techniques and muggle technology at the same time - the best of both worlds.

Severus didn't move, the proximity allowed him to feel her sweet fruity perfume that he missed so badly. "I - I can lend you a few books about these kinds of spells."

"Thanks," she said, smirking. "I won't need to steal those from you, then."

For the first time in four months, Severus' lips curled up.

Ana didn't move from the microscope, taking more time than she truly needed, just because she couldn't stand being so close to her beloved, without going back into his arms.

All of a sudden, a sweet, gentle and lovely finger caressed her cheek and brushed her blond hair. She gasped at the unexpected touch, but immediately closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and allowing herself to enjoy the sensation. She missed his touch so much... She missed how it felt - the ardent sensation at the bottom of her stomach, burning all the way up her chest.

"What are you into, my love? What are you hiding?" He asked in a vulnerable whisper, making a tear to escape her eyes.

In a silent sob, Ana pulled away from his touch, but just enough to look up to him without being so close. She wouldn't resist him.

"I wish I could tell you..." She paused a little, nibbling her bottom lip for a moment. "I wish this was just a nightmare."

At their sudden distance, Severus felt a small flash of anger starting in the bottom of his heart and he took a step forward, talking with a stern but still soothing voice this time.

"I wished the same since the morning I woke up and read that letter. I wished it was just one of your foolish pranks, but you didn't show up that day, or the next one... there were no signs of your existence..." He took another step forward and Ana took a step back, feeling the counter behind her. "I searched for you. Day and night. Alone. I called your name everywhere I went... I _screamed_ for your name..." He took another step forward and Ana knew she was trapped. A gentle caress brushed her cheek, cupping it so tenderly as if she was about to break "I drank to cure the lonely nights and to forget your name. But everywhere I went, you were there, with your eyes sparkling staring right at me."

"I'm so sorry..." She sobbed, not being able to look him in the eyes.

"Why did you leave me?!" Severus asked, pushing himself against her body, the turmoil of sensations surfacing all at the same time. Then, rage talked louder and he grabbed both her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. "Why did you make me suffer that way?"

"Please..." She tried to release herself from his grip, but he only held her tighter.

The sensation of his body pressing against hers was painfully arousing but also terrifying. In the blink of an eye, Severus could make her do anything he wanted because she wanted it too. All that he had to do was touch her, even if he was mad at her. She couldn't blame him.

"It hurt, you know? You broke my heart into small pieces," he continued, his dark eyes burying into hers, into her soul, showing her how hurt he was, how his love had soured because of her absence. That made her cry even more and beg to be released from that pain. Severus, on the other hand, had no intention of stopping. "When I saw you in Minerva's office, I felt so betrayed because there you were -- beautiful and more stunning than ever and I was just... drunk and miserable. How can you be so beautiful after four months of silence?"

"Please, stop..." She begged, sobbing more than ever.

"-- And do you know the saddest part? The saddest part is that I loved you, even more, the moment I laid my eyes on you. How is that even possible?" He asked, which made Ana stop her crying and stare at him, confused by how it was possible for his love to be as strong as it was when she left. She also felt so overwhelmed by hearing him say he loved her. For weeks she considered several horrible scenarios where Severus stopped loving her because of what she did. She was sure he'd never want her again, after she left like that, after she had abandoned her. But he didn't. 

She didn't know if she had the strength to stay away anymore.

"All I wanted was to feel the taste of your lips, Ana... It is all that takes to make the pain go away."

Severus leaned in slowly, breathing against her lips, barely touching them. The little contact they had was enough to send a wave of electricity through her body, making every inch of it explode. At that sensation, Ana's powers got slightly out of control again, making everything around them shake.

She was giving in. She was not resisting.

"I can't," she pulled away all of a sudden, without allowing him to finally attack her lips hungrily.

"Do you not want me? Have your feelings changed?" Severus questioned, his voice trembling with each word.

"How could they change?" Ana stared at him in shock. "I love you! Everything I did, I did it out of love!"

"That's all that matters to me," Severus stated, approaching her again, his arms grabbing her waist, to pull her to him.

"No, it's not, Severus!" She pushed his arms away from her. "You're not listening!"

"Ana, please," he begged, the tears finally flowing down his cheeks. "Tell me what I have to do to have you back!!!"

"There's nothing you can do but leave me alone! I can't be with you and I don't know if I'll ever can! So, please, leave me!" Ana yelled, but her voice broke down and she too was sobbing with her face buried in her hands.

"I will never leave you!" Severus immediately growled. He pulled Ana's hands away from her face and, without giving her a chance to protest, he glued his body to hers and stared into her eyes, inches away from her face. In a more tender and soft tone, Severus spoke slowly. "Let me help you, _my love_... Whatever it is... If we need to figure out how to fight whatever is in that blood, I _can_ help you. If that means we can be together in the end, I will help you and wait for you! Just - just let me in and tell me the truth about what's happening..."

For a moment, Ana was in a deep trance, looking into Severus' eyes. If she didn't know what was at stake, she'd have him right there, right at that moment. But as she felt all the love for him and the love he had for her, she knew she couldn't lose him, she knew she had to fight first and worrying about making amends after. 

It was the right thing to do. For her. For him.

"No," Ana said sternly. "I'm sorry, Severus. I love you with all my heart, and I know that I will always - _always_ love you. No matter what, I can't be with you now. It's better for everyone if I let you go. Waiting for me like this will bring you no good."

"Ana..."

"Having you around is making it harder. Please leave."

"I cannot do that!" Severus fought back. "Can't you see that I am not willing to live without you??? I have nothing else - I have no one else to live for."

Ana stared at him, not knowing how to reply to such words. Still, she stood there, convinced she was doing the right thing.

Not seeing any chance of changing her mind, Severus sighed in defeat.

"If I don't have you, if you're not mine ever again, I have nothing to hold me in this life, Ana," he said as he walked to the door. "Nothing."

After the slam of the door, Ana's laboratory was in thick silence once again. She didn't dare to move, to speak or to cry. All she did was stare at the closed door, processing Severus' painful and grievous words. She did that, she made him lose all his will to live, by vanishing, by abandoning everything she cherished. All Ana ever wanted was to run away with Severus, probably get married, have children with him, but all that seemed like it was just a dream. A short, pleasant dream.

Dirk finally achieved what he planned. She was destroyed and she tore apart the heart and soul of the person that was most important to her.

Severus, on the other hand, was so devastated that he seemed like he didn't even know where his chambers were. He strolled through the corridors, his mind vacant, his heart shattered, and it felt like his soul finally left his body.

When he eventually reached his chambers after roaming around aimlessly, the first thing he did was locate a Whiskey bottle, open it and sip directly from the flask. The burning sensation down his throat did nothing to stop his torture. So he reached for another liquor, a stronger one he purchased during one of the trips he did to find Ana, opened it and drank it, grimacing at the taste.

He lost. He lost her.

The only chance he had to be happy, he lost it.

What was even the point of continuing living such a horrible life if she wasn't in it?

It was perfect when they were together. If it was meant to end forever, he felt blessed to feel such a joyful emotion as love. But it was also a curse, having it all and losing it without knowing why.

_Did I miss any sign? Did I do anything wrong? I did nothing but love her and show it to her every day! Every goddamn day!_

Gulping, Severus closed his eyes and exhaled as he tried to stop his head from giving him any more dark thoughts.

Was he truly giving up?

An urgent, robust and determined knock on the door disrupted his betraying subconsciousness. The loud thuds didn't stop and Severus couldn't decide if he was grateful for, whoever that was, stopping him from planning anything else against his own existence, or mad because the last thing he wanted was to be bothered.

He marched violently to the door, snapping it open. "WHAT???"

Ana was on the other side of the door, alarmed by the reception.

"Ana, w --" he looked down at her and rustled, surprised by her presence, but Ana didn't allow him to continue. She wrapped her arms around his neck and finally mashed her lips against his, giving in to what both of them wanted; to what both of them needed. 

She pushed him inside of their chambers without breaking the kiss and kicked the door closed. 

Then, pulling away from the kiss, wordlessly, she took off her hoodie, exposing herself to him. 

Whatever the consequences were, being with Severus should never feel like a curse to Ana and she was not going to let Dirk win. She decided she was not going to say no to their love, never again - as long as they both shall live.


	24. Chapter 24

As soon as Severus' felt Ana's lips on him, he simply overlooked all that happened in the last 4 months - every tear, every rage attack, every pain. It was as if she never left. Furthermore, the way her plump and warm lips stole what was left of his soul by ravishing him as passionately as possible, proved him that it was not over.

It will never be over.

When Ana pulled away from the kiss the first time, Severus feared she regretted it.

He gawked at her, completely out of breath, seeking to process that kiss as his heart was hammering inside his chest. Every fiber of his being was in pure ecstasy - aroused, stirred. And, if Ana neglected him once again, he was convinced he'd collapse. His body and his mind ached for her.

As Ana took the first piece of clothing off and exposed her white lace bra, Severus gasped intensely. It was such a sight for him to behold. A sight he missed so dearly, a sight he dreamt about every night, wishing the way Ana touched him intimately in his dreams was real if he opened his eyes. Sorrowfully, they never were. But then, when Ana let her hoodie slide to the floor, when she exposed herself and accosted him to caress his face, he shut his eyes at the sensation, only to open them again and confirm she was truly there.

The first set of tears dropped from his onyx eyes.

A sad smile surfaced on Ana's face as she spotted his tears. She was sure it was possible to hear her heart shattering into tiny pieces at the scenario. All Ana wanted was to make those tears vanish, so she kissed them away, one by one. She made sure she didn't leave an inch _unkissed_.

Severus felt his body stiffening and he didn't dare to move, frightened that if he did, Ana might get scared and run away again. Nevertheless, Ana was there to stay.

The fearful glimpse in his eyes made Ana halt what she was doing. She felt he didn't trust whatever was happening, as much as he wanted it, and Ana knew she had to make him believe she wanted to be with him, that she loved him no matter what happens.

Focusing, knowing their relationship depended on showing him that she was always faithful to their love, she gathered every piece of energy and penetrated his soul - as she did long ago - and she, lastly, opened her heart to him.

Severus gasped when he felt it. He felt all of it. Her sorrow, her fear, but most importantly, he knew whatever reasons she had to disappear, she did it because her love for him was stronger than he could ever imagine. She always saw _him_ , she always saw the true colors of his heart and she never loved him less for that. She forgave him for every lie he told, for every act he did in secret during the Wizarding War. She even forgave him for killing Albus, her father.

When he deemed he had destroyed every last bit of humanity in her, she used everything that happened to her to restore a little bit of his. And no matter how devastated, wrecked, or torn she was, Severus was the only person that mattered to her.

That is why he knew he could forgive her for leaving him. No matter what happened. He would be by her side.

"I love you, Severus Tobias Snape, and I'll be yours _forever_ if you still want me," she rustled, trying hard not to sob when Severus pulled her into a long-needed embrace.

He buried his face on her neck, crying noiselessly. Ana felt his tears on her shoulders and when she was about to speak again, Severus started kissing her skin. Inch by inch; her shoulder; her neck; and her jaw.

A shy moan escaped Ana's lips and just that sound - _the lovely and divine sound_ \- healed a part of his heart.

His lips trailed down to the other side of her neck, down to her shoulder, finishing with a small bite that was intended to leave a mark. Then, he pulled away and looked into her eyes before kissing her lips so passionately that he had to hold her by the waist, otherwise, she'd fall to the floor because of how weak her legs felt. His hands wandered her back, slowly going down, feeling every inch of her body. He stopped when he was able to grab her tights and pull her up to his lap, where she tangled her legs behind his back.

Without hesitating, Severus walked to their bedroom, his lips never daring to pull away from Ana's.

When he entered the bedroom and closed the door, he didn't proceed straight to the bed. Instead, he crushed her body against the wooden door, giving in a little bit more, grinding his hips against hers and deepening their kiss.

Ana's slender fingers worked his shirt. Luckily, Severus had already taken off his dark long jacket when he was alone in the chambers, so, that way Ana didn't have to undo the unending line of buttons - even though she profoundly missed undressing his dark robes.

She took his shirt off and tossed it to the floor, pulling away from the kiss to look down at his body.

"So beautiful," she muttered under her breath, not giving him time to speak when she hopped to the floor, releasing her body from his grip, and turned him around, making Severus hit his back against the door this time. She attacked his chest, kissing his soft skin, biting it, licking it... Making Severus whisper her name in a quiet moan. She trailed down her kisses, from the top of his chest to his stomach and, at last, to the edge of his pants, almost kneeling on the floor in front of him.

When Ana tried to unbuckle his pants and make him moan her name louder, she felt his hands pull her up.

"No," he said sternly. "Don't tease. Don't stall. I want you and I want you now."

Severus pushed Ana to the mattress in a quick movement, and she gasped in surprise. She didn't have much time to react, since Severus was already on top of her, his lips glued to hers once again, and his hands untying the strings of her pants. He didn't want to waste any time. He feared she was going to disappear at any moment, and he wanted to be buried deep inside of her as quickly as possible, for as long as she let him.

"Hey," Ana tried to stop him from rushing things, but Severus didn't react. He pulled off her pants and exposed all of her underwear. Then, when he felt Ana's hands on his shoulders in an attempt to stop him, he laid on top of her, hiding his face on her neck. "Sev, look at me. _Love_ , please, look at me."

She cupped his cheeks tenderly and made him look into her eyes, ending his rush.

"I'm here," she said. "I'm not going away."

"You left me," he began to cry all of a sudden, releasing his face from her touch and burying it in her chest. " _You left me_... And I'm afraid you might disappear again."

A deep sob came from Ana's lungs as she apprehended the permanent wound she inflicted on his heart.

"I need you," he whispered between his tears. "I need to feel you."

He continued crying but his lips started planting quick pecks on her chest, on her breasts, and Ana was reaching a point she couldn't go back. Part of her wanted to give in, to give him what he wanted, because she wanted it too. But the other part of her was begging her to stop it.

"You don't need to rush anything, _my love_ , I'm here," she tried to stop his cry, it was breaking her heart even more - if that's even possible. And as Severus' hand reached for her underwear at the same time he kissed her skin, she tried to stop him, but he had already removed them. "I'm here, I promise... I am not going anywhere."

"I beg you..." he stopped attacking her chest and implored, ignoring her words. "I beg... Let me feel you... Please, Ana... _Please_..."

_If I do this... There's no turning back._

" _Please_ , don't cry..." she begged him.

"I need you," he continued, his sobs becoming more audible. He kissed her neck, her jaw, and her lips, deepening the kiss as passionately as he was able to.

Ana felt his bulge while he ground more vigorously against her core. He needed her, he ached for her, body and soul and she needed him as much. There was no turning back.

_It's a death sentence._

"Do it," she said. " _God_ , I need you so much... I don't care about anything else anymore. Please, I need you inside of me, Severus."

He didn't hesitate. Freeing himself from his pants, Severus aligned himself with Ana's entrance, gasping at the slippery folds. She did not lie to him, she truly needed him as much as he needed her. The way she inhaled deeply at his first touch led him to believe she was at the edge of exploding and he didn't want to make her wait anymore.

As he buried himself inside of her, in a painfully slow movement, her walls clenched around him, making him feel welcome.

"I love you..." he finally said once he hit the deepest point he could reach. "I love you so much..."

"I love you too," she replied.

Severus began moving his hips slowly, holding himself as calm as he could, even though his heart was racing and all he craved was to satisfy the longing he had for Ana as wildly and raw as he could. However, hearing her moan his name like she was doing was more than enough to cure the void he felt in his soul. He penetrated her at a much quicker and firmer pace, as the sound coming from her plump limps made him feel like he was reaching heaven.

With his right hand, he searched her back for the clasp of her bra, to finally release her for any piece of clothing, but he didn't dare to stop or slow down his rhythm.

At the sight of the woman he loves squirming under him and his name unrolling in her tongue so beautifully, he needed to taste her again, so he leaned in and stole her breath away with a vehement kiss, as he increased his pace.

Her noises were getting louder with each second that passed, and as she craved her nails on his back, claiming his body as hers again, he knew she was close to her climax. He could feel her dripping and becoming tighter; he could see her eyes turning darker with lust; he heard her breathing becoming heavier.

She reached heaven at last and he was accountable for it.

Severus didn't want to hold himself much longer after Ana moaned her orgasm away. She cried for him, for the pleasure she felt, and Severus simply allowed himself to let go, to follow her into the skies where she was recovering from her blissful orgasm.

He collapsed on top of her, not moaning, but growling like a beast; like he had contained all of that sexual energy inside of him for all eternity.

For a couple of minutes, they didn't move or speak.

They simply recovered from such a high peak of longed pleasure.

Their lungs were battling for air and their hearts were using all their strength to slow down a little. Every inch of their skin was electric, filled with a pure flow of ecstasy and delight.

Unmistakably, it was not enough to satisfy their needs or their ache for each other, but it was a good start, indeed.

Severus' state of divine contentment ceased as he felt Ana trembling under him. She was crying and she was trying to be silent.

"Hey, hey," he cupped her cheeks. "What is it?"

She nodded her head and simply leaned her forehead against his.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry... I love you so much, please believe in me."

"I know," he gave her a quick kiss. "I know, I love you too."

She caressed his face as she analyzed his attractive but exhausted features up close.

"Everything I do... Everything I'm doing, I'm only doing it for you... I'm doing it to protect you," Ana confessed. "I h-h-have to protect you, Severus. I have to... I'm so sorry."

"Please, tell me what's happening..." He begged once again and Ana cried even more.

"I don't know if I can... I - Oh, God --" she buried her face in his chest, crying for some time while Severus rubbed her back and kissed her head. There was nothing else he could do to calm her down, but holding her and wait for her to cry all of her tears.

After a while, Severus decided to draw a bath, with foam and candles. He recalled Ana loved those long baths, where they relaxed clutched to each other, made love, or simply talked about random things. Even if he had her just for the night, he'd make it memorable.

He returned to their bedroom and leaned against the door frame, admiring Ana's figure, as if he was taking a mental picture of what it was like to have her in his bed, sated. She looked so beautiful, with her shorter hair dyed blonde, and with one of his white shirts covering her body.

Ana was completely lost in her thoughts, her mind replaying that night's wonderful moments. However, once facing the consequences of her actions, she didn't know what she was going to do. She was certain that once she shared it with her beloved, he would never, ever forgive her. _Ever_. Because she lied to him. She was going to leave again.

_This time, forever._

"Love? Are you feeling alright?" Severus asked.

Ana was hauled away from her thoughts. A smirk appeared on her blushed face when she laid her eyes on Severus. He was standing naked at the door, with his arms crossed, and the usual grumpy expression on his face. His eyes, however, were nothing but a mirror to his true fillings.

"I am... You make me feel better," she said, kneeling on the bed.

Severus raised a brow at her.

"And you stole another thing for me. Back to assaulting my shirts, are we?" He approached her, his fingers tracing a line on the buttons.

A redder blush crept to Ana's face. For 4 months she had nothing but sorrow and sadness in her life, and that night she had so many good emotions in her heart that she didn't know how to handle them.

"I missed having to steal my shirts back," Severus confessed, unbuttoning Ana's clothes. "We have a hot bath waiting."

Ana closed her eyes, imagining she had turned back in time and she was just casually spending some quality time with the man she loved. The man she shared a life with.

Smiling and forgetting the hell coming her way, Ana followed Severus, leaving the shirt behind. And after one hour, Severus found himself inside of Ana, once again, but this time, he had no rush. She was in his arms, moaning his name to the world to know she was his and nothing could change that.

Not even death.

***

At 7 in the morning, Ana woke up with a holt. She opened her eyes all of a sudden as she felt an excruciating and quick pain in her stomach and chest. When she was in a sitting position, breathing heavily, she felt like her heart was about to explode, but no more pain was felt.

Still, she needed to use the restroom and freshen up her face. To make her forget about her dreadful nightmare.

Ana looked down at Severus sleeping figure and for a second she simply adored his features under the dim light of the morning sunrays.

Oh, she loved him so much. She only wished he could think about himself the same way she thinks about him. Severus was so precious to her... _So, so precious..._

She decided to hop out of bed to use the restroom quickly. Then, she'd prepare breakfast for both of them, at least, that was her plan.

When she looked down, she smiled as she noticed she was wearing Severus' shirt once again. He must have dressed her up sometime during the night, she couldn't quite remember. The last thing she remembered was being carried in Severus' arms back into the bed, after strolling to their small kitchen eat some snacks (they were both starving) and ending up having the most mindblowing orgasm of her life - which included strawberries and ice cream.

When she finally moved from the bed, she felt Severus' arms seizing her hips and keeping her in place.

"Sev --"

"Don't move from the bed," he muttered, still half asleep.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she smiled weakly, knowing why Severus reacted that way.

"No, I'm not letting you out of my sight again," he fought back, finally waking up and sitting up in the bed to have a better look at Ana.

"Severus, I am not going to run again," she said. "There's no turning back now."

Severus nodded his head, not wanting to let her go.

"Please, don't go away... Not yet..." he begged, grabbing her hands.

Ana sighed and gawked at their intertwined fingers as if she was thinking about what to say and how to say it.

"Severus, what happened last night was --"

"Please don't say it was a mistake," he interrupted her.

"-- a mistake that I'd make over and over again."

"But?" Severus asked, already ready to take a blow.

"No, buts. I just need you to know that I love you, always have, and always will. You are the love of my life --" Ana said, getting closer to him.

"I love you, too --"

"Please, let me finish this." She interrupted him, sitting on his lap, face to face. "I love you more than life itself and last night proved just that... You need to know that it's not your fault... Nothing is your fault... I left because I had to; because it was not just about you and me, it was way bigger than us... I wish I could tell you, but I know you're going to be so mad at me...For several reasons... And you will blame yourself and I can't have you blaming yourself, love..."

"Ana... You're scaring me..."

"-- I did something... Something that can be so bad... And I don't know if you will forgive me. Especially now."

Severus furrowed his brows, millions of explanations appearing in his mind.

"Is there someone else, isn't it?" He dared to ask aloud what had to be his worst fear, biting his lower lip as he waited for Ana's reply.

"It's more complicated than that. I d--"

"Bloody hell, Ana..." Severus interrupted her, exploding all of a sudden. In the back of his mind, there has always been this voice telling him that Ana found someone better, and, even though he knew Ana would never do such a thing, that fear consumed him. "What have you done? I -- where did I fail you? What did --"

"Jesus Christ, Severus!" Ana yelped, exasperated. "Haven't you heard me when I told you I haven't cheated on you? There is no one better than you! I know I am a little crazy, but hold your horses, I am crazy about you."

Severus seemed more surprised by Ana's tone than by his ability to ask the wrong questions at the wrong time. A small smirk appeared on his lips, though, he knew she was still in love with him. So, no matter what happened to her, at least no one stole their love from them.

"What is it then?" He asked.

"I --" She was doomed already, she might at least tell him the truth. "Do you remember Dirk?"

"Dirk... ?" That name was familiar to him.

"Dirk Wright, from the Ministry of Magic. Used to rape his niece?"

"Oh - yes, I remember," there was a slight disgusting grimace on his face as he remembered that terrifying moment. For a second, he thought Ana was going to get arrested back then, but, once again, she surprised him and even ended up saving a young girl's life.

"Well, he was released --"

"WHAT?" Severus yelled in shock. No one gets out of Azkaban unless they are innocent. No.One.

"Yeah, money can move mountains, even for devils like him... Well, obviously, he came to me."

"WHAT???? WHY THE BLOODY HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" He yelled again.

"Oh, I can't imagine why," Ana said in a sarcastic tone, lifting her brow at the raven-haired man.

Severus shrugged. He knew Ana was right.

"What did he say? Did he do something?"

"I think you need to relax to hear the rest of the story. Since I'm already fucked up, at least you'll learn the truth before it's too late."

While making breakfast, Ana shared everything that happened since she discovered the Angel's Trumpets until Johnny's odd behavior had started. The fact that Ana and Severus were distracted by getting their first meal of the day ready was helping Ana not to wail as the memories unfolded in her head, replaying, over and over again as if they were a punishment from God.

"How could you hide it from me?" Severus asked in the end, putting down the food and staring down at Ana.

She sat on the table, casually eating her food and taking all matter-of-factly. "Because you'd say _I told you so_ and I'd never been able to leave your chambers alone, like, ever again. You're always so jealous of anyone who even looks at me, so I decided to take care of it on my own. I went to the institute the next day and told him that if he didn't step aside he'd have to deal with my grumpy boyfriend."

Severus' anger dissipated and he curled his lips up. Ana was a fighter, he knew that.

"Still, you should have told me first," he insisted, joining her in their meal.

"No, I shouldn't. If it was a normal situation, I would be able to defend myself, and you know that very well."

"I know..." He admitted. "-- but why wasn't it a normal situation?"

"Then, he told me who he really was," for half an hour Ana told him the story about Johnny not being Johnny; about Dirks' revenge, which included the strange disease spreading over the world (which already had a cure, thanks to Ana's notes); she even told him about the fatal poison hidden somewhere in the school. She told him the elves were helping her and all the clues she had about that situation.

Still, there was something else she didn't tell him. She wanted to, but her voice cracked and she finally let out her frustrations, sobbing and slamming her fists on top of the table.

"It's my fault, Severus. It's all my fault!"

"No. It is not your fault, Ana. Nothing is your fault, it is Dirk's. No one else's! I am going to kill him... I am going to kill him with my bare hands," Severus growled in rage, but it only made Ana cry even more. The sound of her sobs made him calm down, and drag his chair to be by her side, to be able to embrace her. "Where have you been, my love? Did anyone hurt you besides Dirk? Tell me, tell me everything... I'm going to make it better, I promise you..."

Between her tears, Ana managed to show him an apologetic and humble smile.

"I wish you could."

"There is something else you're not telling me, isn't it?"

At his words, his tone, and his look, Ana nodded her head and sobbed, not being able to say anything but gibberish. Severus didn't know what else to do to calm Ana down whatever he - said caused nothing but more distress to the woman - so he simply remained hugged to her, rubbing her back like in the previous night.

A knock on the door interrupted the moment. Severus and Ana looked at each other, assuming it was Minerva on the other side. However, when Severus opened the door, Nikki, the elf, talked in a rushed and excited manner.

"We found him, we found the one you are looking for, Ana," the elf said.

Ana quickly got up from the chair, eyes widened at the elf. A wave of nausea and dizziness took over her, but Ana tried to act as discreet as possible.

"Where is the person?" Severus asked harshly.

Nikki looked up at him startled, but Ana approached her and kneeled in front of the sweet creature.

"Thank you, Nikki. Can you take me to him?"

Nikki nodded and smiled, holding her hand for Ana to grab.

Gulping, Ana exchanged an ominous look with Severus, took a deep breath, and followed Nikki.


	25. Chapter 25

The elves had spent the previous night interrogating students about some of the suspicious Ana had due to her conversation with Dirk. Something about the words _innocent love_ triggered something in Ana's mind. 

The way to Minerva's office was distasteful for Ana. First, because she was betting all her hopes on that lead, and if the kid was not the one she was looking for, she didn't know what else to do. Second, because she could still feel Severus' anguish as if he was afraid all the time that she might disappear. Lastly, she was feeling lightheaded again and nauseated. Furthermore, her body temperature was rising gradually and she was feeling really mild. Uncomfortably mild.

Nevertheless, Ana sought to hasten through the hallways without anyone discerning her figure becoming pale.

Severus tried to keep up with her agile pace. There was something about the whole situation that was making him feel unease. There wasn't much time to process everything that Ana shared with him that morning, but he knew in the bottom of his heart, there was something much worse Ana didn't tell him yet. However, it was not the time nor the place to resume the conversation, so he decided to keep his questions to himself.

When Ana entered Minerva's office there was a student sitting in front of the desk, eating cookies and drinking tea along with Minerva who was looking at him with a somber and anxious smile. Her and Ana's eyes met for a moment and it was a look of acknowledgment, especially when she noticed Ana was followed by none other than Severus Snape.

The aura in the office was heavy, terrorizing even. The kid was shivering, he looked pale and tired. The elves interrogated every student during the night, starting with Slytherin's students and ending with Hufflepuff's, from 1st years to finalists, until they had a match.

Ana remembered when the kid Malik was the first to contract the disease. It was all too dark and mysterious at first. It was painful to think about how Ana felt once she examined the boy and realized there was nothing she could have done considering his organs already started falling on him. She didn't know the seriousness of the condition back then; they were all so ignorant about it. And it turned out to be all her fault. Everything that happened was because of her and her powers...

Anyway, that was not all that Ana retrieved from that memory. The conversation she had with Malik's friends popped into her mind. Back then, they shared the information that Malik had been exchanging letters with some girl from another school. For some reason, his friends found her writing too odd, hence the fact they told Ana about the letters. She even read the letters herself back then and she confirmed it - something was odd about that girl. She never put much attention to that until she pondered about Dirk's statement.

 _Young innocent love_.

Ana assumed Malik had been in contact with the disease Dirk created through those letters, somehow. She was convinced something similar had happened with the frightened kid in front of her.

Trying hard not to show she was exceedingly exhausted, Ana marched to Minerva's desk and gave the kid a look of understanding and a compreensive smile emerged on her face.

"Hi," Ana started.

"You're back," the kid widened his eyes in shock and terror. That didn't go unnoticed by the people present.

"I am. Why? Does it bother you?" Ana asked, furrowing her brows.

The kid lowered his head and didn't reply.

Ana exchanged a solemn expression with Minerva while she kneeled in front of the kid.

"Hey," her face brightened with the most genuine smile Severus had ever seen and it melted him to his core. Ana spoke in the softest tone she could apply in such a tense moment. She needed to win the kids' trust, so staying at his eye level was the first step; talking softly at him was the next. After that - unknown waters to her. "What's your name?"

"Thomas," he said after a while, his lower lip trembling.

"You can look at me, Thomas, I'm not gonna hurt you," Ana said. "There's something bothering you, isn't it?"

The kid nodded his head slowly and Ana noticed the tears rolling down his cheeks. However, he didn't look at her.

"I can help you..." Ana assured, even though Thomas wasn't reacting. She sighed. "I asked the elves to question the students about some things, _important things_ , and they came up with you. Can you tell me why?"

Thomas still didn't open his mouth, which gave Ana the confirmation she needed regarding Thomas being the person she was looking for and that her theory was right. Dirk indeed made contact with someone else in that school and the kid might have useful information. Or perhaps, the vial with the poison itself.

"Thomas, no one is going to be mad at you or scold you, we just need you to answer Ana's questions," Minerva said, pressing the kid who trembled even more with the headmistress's voice.

"Please, Thomas, you're very important right now, and I really need you to help me solve this. A man, a _horrible_ man is threatening me and everyone around me right now and I believe you can help me. I just need you to answer my questions," Ana said.

Thomas looked up at Ana.

"He made me do it," he said. "He made me promise I'd do it, otherwise, he'd tell my parents."

"What did he made you do? Did you hurt anyone?"

"No," Thomas nodded.

"Thomas, please, I need you to tell me how you have been in contact with him, and what you talk about," Ana begged. "Please."

"He... he knows something about me... something bad, and --"

"AND? And what???" Severus shouted all of a sudden. He had been listening quietly, admiring the way Ana kept her calm even though he sensed she was in distress, desperate even. "Do you honestly deem in that feeble-minded head of yours that there's something graver than killing hundreds of people and other creatures?"

"Kill --" The boy started talking, his face exhibiting profound confusion, but Severus didn't stop yelling, even though Minerva was trying to make him stop. Ana, on the other hand, was curious about Thomas's reaction.

"Nothing you might have done is more harmful than all the deaths that man desires to provoke," Severus said, stepping closer to Thomas who got up and moved back against the desk.

"Deaths?" He questioned confused. 

"Yes," Ana said, holding her hand in the hair to make Severus stop whatever he was going to do. Thomas diverted his look to Ana and furrowed his brows. "I'm sure that man entrusted you with a mission, am I right? Or perhaps had given you a strange vial."

Thomas nodded his head.

"Both," he solely replied.

Ana noticed how the kid's hand traveled to the pocket in his robes as if he was shielding something dear (or dangerous) inside.

"Thomas, that potion will kill everyone if you release it," Ana pointed at the subtle hand and the kid widened his eyes.

"No," he gulped, breathing heavily as if his lungs started failing on him. "-- he said it was harmless, it was only intended for a person!"

Suddenly, Ana felt as if the floor escaped from her feet. She supported her body weight on the table with one hand, but since everybody's attention was on Thomas, no one noticed.

"Who?" Severus asked.

The room was spinning and, for the briefest of the moments, Ana stopped hearing what was surrounding her.

"Her," he pointed at Ana, stopping whatever was happening to her. She came back to her senses and was back to normal. "I was supposed to find a way to give it to you as soon as you were in Hogwarts."

Severus looked at Ana and his expression hardened. Being away from Ana for so many months was purgatory, but the idea of her life being in danger lessened the pain he felt during her absence.

Thomas took the vial from his robes and showed it to Ana. His hands were trembling.

"He said it was only meant for you. No one else would get hurt and I'd never hear from him ever again. I'd be free from him," Thomas stated.

"Thomas, please, trust me when I say that thing will kill everyone in this school if you open it. Even yourself."

Thomas furrowed his brows, but the way Ana talked to him, how she treated him as a grown-up instead of a kid that needed to be protected from the truth - as his parents use to do - it made him trust her somehow. He believed in her, but he was so afraid that the truth about him came out. What would his parents think of him? Would his friends continue to be his friends after knowing the truth or would they mock him? What was going to happen to him? Suicide had crossed his mind once. As time went by and the realization of what was happening to him was getting bigger and stronger in the back of his mind, he thought about ending his life to keep such a secret, but then, he started exchanging letters with a kid from another school and he felt as if he could count on that kid and tell him his darkest secrets. He thought he had a friend that understood him, but it turned out to be a charade. He was misguided, betrayed. And he was alone again, threatened, afraid.

"I can't," Thomas said. The tears leaping from his eyes were overwhelming, even Ana herself felt the sadness and the fear emanating from the kid. His dismal energy was all over the place.

"Whatever you did," Ana said, approaching Thomas. "It is not worse than what you will cause if you release that poison. I am sure of it. No matter what secret you have, it can be solved. There's nothing that can't be solved, Thomas. _Nothing_ , except death."

Thomas gulped, but he stood staring at Ana.

"Can you help me?" He whimpered all of a sudden.

Ana gave him the sweetest smile she could manage.

"I can. I promise. Can I see what is happening to you?" Ana said, pointing at his mind. "I can see it and feel it, no one else will know."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise you," Ana said. "May I, Thomas?"

Thomas nodded his head and closed his eyes as the tears cascaded down.

Ana felt a cold sensation pulling her into a deep void and she saw herself in Thomas' skin, feeling many kinds of emotions:

_Confusion, discovery, wonder, terror._

_Thomas was different from the other kids. - the conversations they had, the interests they shared: he shared none of those things. He had friends, though. Two. He didn't know why. Every since his first day in Hogwarts, as a Hufflepuff student. He didn't understand those differences at first, and, when he did, he ignored them, praying they would go away._

_His friends started dating, or randomly kissing girls during breaktimes or during summer vacations. He had none. He preferred to read his books, ride around with his bicycle, and, occasionally, he'd go visit a friend or two._

_If his parents allowed him, of course._

_They were very strict and reserved. They always hid the main decisions from him, including when they decided to move from Scotland to England when he was 10. Or when they got divorced when he was 12 but decided to continue living in the same house, as if it never happened. Just because they didn't want other people to think ill of them._

_The beliefs and rules his family imposed made him terrified of sharing his truth. Of asking questions._

_Thomas wondered several times about what would happen if he did. If questioned his parents about his differences. About the things he feels._

_It is so overwhelming sometimes. Especially when his friends try to get a girl for him to date. He pretends to laugh and go along with it, but the truth is that he never wanted to date a girl. In fact, the simple idea makes him sick._

_That heavy feeling of confusion grew up along with him and when he reached his 14 years of age - he could no longer live like that. He was decided to end those emotions, that turbulence of fears and questions no one was trustworthy enough to answer._

_When he visited another school during summer vacations' activities when he returned shortly to Scotland, everything changed. There was this big box with forms where each student could apply to exchange letters with someone, according to a set of attributes they could choose. And that's how Thomas met Dan. Or at least, he thought he was Dan. It started with bashful letters and evolved into something intense, to a safe place where Thomas shared all his questions, his emotions, and his desires. He shared with Dan everything he was hiding from everybody else and when they finally managed to arrange a meeting between the two, he realized the mistake he had done._

Ana returned to Minerva's office. She felt deafened for a second or two and her eyesight was dark. Severus even reached for her arm to prevent her from falling.

She opened her eyes, feeling extremely tired as if using her powers had drained her completely.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked.

"Yes," she lied, dismissing his help smoothly.

She turned her attention to Thomas who had a worried look across his face. He was not the only one with that same look in that office.

"See? He has the upper hand," Thomas said.

"No," Ana nodded her head. "He doesn't. If you give me that vial, I can promise you he won't hurt you. And even if he does that, even if tells your secret, so what? That is nothing to be ashamed of, Thomas. It doesn't define you. And your parents love you, they will accept it. I know I would."

"But what if they don't?"

"They will, I know they will. And I'd be right by your side, if you want to," Ana smiled at the kid. "Look, it's ok to be afraid about telling the truth. But being afraid of things going wrong isn't the way to make things go right. And that thing you're dreading -- what you fear doing most means it's the thing you most need to do. Thinking about it as you did in the past won't do anything for you to overcome it. Action will."

Thomas didn't reply. 

He stared at Ana for a moment, reflecting on her words.

Then, his trembling Ana went for his pocket.

Ana's eyes grew bigger at the sight of the vial that terrorized her months ago.


	26. Chapter 26

After almost one hour of conversation with Thomas, Ana succeeded in getting the deathly vial from him. Both Minerva and Severus were confused about the strange conversation between them, about the secret that Thomas dreaded the most, but they dared not to insist on knowing the story.

Minerva called the Aurors to get the vial. They would take their time to arrive at Hogwarts, but, in the meantime, the headmistress and Severus kept the vial in a safe box while Ana and Thomas shared a confidential conversation on the couch of Minerva's living room. Ana asked Severus to prepare a calming tea for Thomas while Minerva used the Floo Powder to call for the Aurors. That way both of them were away and Thomas could open up with Ana.

Ana never dealt with such a situation. Of all people she had helped, Thomas was the first she encountered with such worries.

"Most people in your situation worry about how their friends are going to react when they tell the truth," Ana started. "Some will be surprised and have loads of questions or don't know what to say, others might even guess it already."

"I have a friend that asked me a few years ago if I was gay," he thought aloud.

"Maybe he'd help you overcome your fear of telling people... Uh, you might want to think ahead and prepare answers to questions like "how do you know" or "how long have you know", things like that," Ana rambled on, trying to help the kid realizing that the only way to free himself was to come clean, stop hiding his feelings. It will only consume his heart. 

"I'll be the joke of the year in this school," Thomas lamented.

"Perhaps," Ana said. It's true, kids are mean with people that are different. "People fear or mock what they don't understand. They can be mean sometimes... But it will pass, and you will get the upper hand, ya know? Besides being free from that secret, you'll have me as your friend to help you against anyone who tries to mock you for something so beautiful as love. Love is nothing to be ashamed of, Thomas."

Thomas looked up at Ana, and the look on his face broke her heart.

"Take me and Severus for example," she smirked. "Do you know how many times I heard people asking me why I wasn't with someone of my age? Someone younger? Less... grumpy and crusty. I've been mocked by it, and I have no idea why."

"Really? I've always thought you were a cool couple," Thomas replied, perplexed about what Ana said.

"I think that too," Ana chuckled. "But, you know what? My happiness is none of their business. Like you, I am different, Thomas... I mean, come on, I'm the blood daughter of Voldemort and adoptive daughter of Albus Dumbledore. That gotta be more freaky than you liking boys."

Thomas laughed between his tears, which made his clear blue eyes glister even more.

"Yeah, you're weird," Thomas said.

"And I am proud of it," Ana concluded.

They both remained smiling at each other in silence, processing their conversation. Severus, who had brought the calming tea Ana asked for, overheard them but decided not to interrupt. After a long period of silence, Thomas spoke again.

"What about my parents? They are going to kill me."

"They are not going to kill you, Thomas."

"Yes, they are... I don't even know what to tell them... How to tell them..." He continued babbling on about how they have very strict rules and how they always protect him from the world, diminishing his beliefs, ideas, or feelings. Ana knew how parents can seem resolute, how they can transmit the wrong idea just by acting in such a severe way. But, from her personal experience, that doesn't mean they don't love their children. Sometimes there is something else behind that behavior, or sometimes they just don't know how to express themselves. "I can't speak to them... I can't handle their judgemental gaze."

"So, why don't you write a letter and hand it personally? Wait for them to read..." Ana suggested. It sounded stupid to her as she spoke the words, but Thomas did, in fact, enjoy the idea. "Remember that people's first reaction is not necessarily how they feel or will feel forever. Sometimes they might need time to process it, but, if they truly love you, they will be alright with it. Love is what defines us, Thomas. And your parents love you, don't they?"

"Yes, I guess," the kid spoke in a weak whisper. "Thank you..."

The sweet smile on Ana's face grew wider when Severus finally came up with the tea. Thomas drank it right away and Ana decided it was better if she sips a little too, considering that all the truth was about to come out.

Curious at it might seem to her, during the time in Minerva's office, Ana didn't think about what was coming her way, now that she returned to Hogwarts and Severus. Once the Aurors arrive, Ana would have to report everything that happened and her path during her absence until the day she decided to come back to Hogwarts. Severus would know the whole truth then. He will know where she went, who she was with, and how she managed to survive away from him. And he will know what's yet to come.

Panic took over Ana at the thought and her beloved noticed how her levels of distress were increasing with each second that passed. He settled his warm hand on top of hers, and his concerned gaze pierced through her delicate dark coffee-colored eyes. Even after so many months isolated from each other, the connection they partook still outlasted intact, growing stronger the moment they met again.

Ana watched Severus' thumb caressing her hand. She believed he still had no idea the effect he had on her. His simple touch was enough to warm her heart and make a soft smile appear on her face.

"Are you alright?" Ana asked Severus who had a strange gleam in his eyes.

He didn't reply to her, though. Instead, he caressed her cheek and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ears while his eyes admired her features. Severus had no idea what was going to happen, but one thing he was sure - he wasn't going to let Ana alone a single minute. Ever again.

"Your hair..." He spoke quietly.

Ana's smile faded away for a second.

"Do you not like it?"

"I do. You are undeniably the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

The sweet smile on Ana's face illuminated the room simply by existing. Severus was sure, though, she was indeed the most beautiful woman on Earth and nothing would make sense to him if she was not there. He was more than aware that such a horrible situation would take years to handle and get over, but he had to be the one by her side, hearing her cries, brushing her hair with the tip of his fingers while she found comfort on his chest. 

Closing his mouth in a thin line, Severus prayed for all of that to be over so that he can take Ana to their lovely home, and take care of her bat last. He'd draw her another bath, just like she loves - Candles, foam, music, and wine. He'd make love to her, over and over again, and he'd tell her how much he loves her. And then he'd show her how strong he was sure she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

He remembered something at that moment. Something that he hasn't thought about ever since Ana disappeared.

"I have to leave for a few minutes. I'll be back soon," he said, not giving Ana enough time to process his words.

Thomas and Ana looked at each other, shrugging at the strange behavior.

Soon after, Minerva, the Ministry of Magic - Kingsley - and another man Ana deemed to be an Auror entered the headquarters of the headmistress. Thomas stiffed his body and Ana sensed the fear running through his veins.

"Ana, you can't imagine how good it is to see you," Kingsley said, approaching Ana to hug her tightly.

"Same to you, Minister Kingsley," Ana replied with a grin on her lips. 

"Everyone was so worried about you," he stated. "Minerva told us you have gone through hell. Uh, this is Clark Byer, Auror, my right hand."

"Nice to meet you," Ana said, holding a hand for Clark to shake. 

"I've heard a lot about you, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Dumbledore," Clark replied, taking Ana's hand and kissing it gallantly.

That moment, Severus reemerged in the office, furrowing his brows at Clark's courtesy towards Ana. Ana looked a the raven-haired man and discerned the look in his eyes, knowing very well Severus was an insecure man that felt jealousy concerning anyone who'd come near his cherished Ana.

"Please, let's sit down and talk," Minerva suggested, gesturing Kingsley and Clark to walk with her to the couch where Thomas was nervously waiting.

Severus marched alongside Ana in silence, but Ana snaked an arm around his waist, pulling him to her. Her beloved looked down, instantly melting his harsh and jealous features when a sweet smile appeared on her face and she whispered " _I love you_ ".

"So, this is the poison Minerva told us about?" Kingsley opened the box and observed the strange vial. Clark was specialized in potions and poisons, but he still narrowed his eyes, absolutely perplexed about such strange item Ana was giving them. 

"Yes, I believe it is remarkably lethal, and it is based on the same herb that is being currently used to cure the illness that has been spreading around the globe," Ana stated. "I might take some time to tell you the full story, so I beg you to listen without interruptions. I really have to go back a few months before I ran away."

"Well, go on," Kingsley told.

"I have been working with Angel's Trumpet for almost a year now. A few friends from America helped me find it and I have been studying its proprieties regarding healing potions and treatments for a vast amount of diseases. I did everything such experiments require, in complete secrecy due to its importance. I worked with my coworkers Alba and... Johnny," the reminder that Johnny was dead was constant in the back of her mind, and announcing his name had grown harder than she anticipated.

Everyone in that office was staring at Ana with grim expressions but in utter concentration. Severus, however, seemed concerned and, at the same time, afraid of hearing the rest of the story Ana didn't have time to tell him.

"Everything was going pretty fine, really. We had achieved great things... Uh, slowly, Alba and I noticed Johnny's behavior was changing... He was really strange... Disappeared for a while and said he was ill; then he told us he broke up with his girlfriend - who he intended to marry just weeks before. And his endeavor was so not Johnny's. Johnny was a happy person, I don't think I ever saw him mad or anything... But that man was mad, irritable, and other times he... he threw himself at me. It started as something subtle, a joke or a compliment, nothing too impolite, but it escalated to something -- abusive," Ana gulped at Severus' expression. Only God knows what was going on through his mind. "In the meantime, this strange illness started spreading and we had to spend more time together than I wanted. It was our duty to help, so we worked day and night, during weekends and holidays, just to help... We even started using Angel's Trumpet in our experiments... Now I know that it helped."

"Yes, it has helped a lot, indeed," Clark stated. "It saved a lot of people."

Ana smiled weakly, but such a smile disappeared when a strange quiver went through her spine, making her tremble.

Was it fear?

"One day, in the laboratory, Johnny crossed the boundaries and... and tried to - to touch me... He was awful and I just ran back home, scared of his behavior... I didn't tell Severus because -- let's face it, he'd kill him," everyone looked at Severus, but he didn't pay attention to them. Instead, he arched a brow at Ana and nodded his head, confirming her words. "So, I decided to confront him about. I demanded an explanation for his behavior, therefore I went to his house and forced him to tell me what was happening to him to make him act that way, otherwise, I'd press charges against him for sexual assault... That's when I found out that he... he wasn't Johnny... he used Polyjuice potion."

Kingsley widened his eyes, already dreading the rest of the story.

"He was, in fact, Dirk Wright. Ex-worker for the Ministry of Magic. I met him years ago when I was still learning about my powers, during one of the periodic visits to assess my improvements at the Ministry. He raped his niece, Layla, and he was sent to Azkaban for it..." A wave of rage took over Ana. She was face to face with the Minister himself, a man who once fought by her side, and she wanted to know why on Earth a man like Dirk was released after committing such a disgusting crime. "He was released! He raped a little girl, for years, and he was released. Can you tell me why??? Can anyone tell me how that happens?"

Kingsley and Clark looked at each other in shock. Ana's rage softened as she apprehended none of them were aware that someone was released from Azkaban. Kingsley undoubtedly didn't tolerate such a thing to occur.

"Ana, I had no idea that someone had been released. There must be some mistake," Kingsley stated.

"Yeah? A _mistake_? That _mistake_ killed Johnny and threw him into the ocean!!! That _mistake_ infiltrated my life for God knows since when, created this twisted plan to get revenge at me for years and destroyed my life! That _mistake_ was the one who took our research and turned into this repulsive illness!!!"

"What???" Clark was in utter shock and Kingsley was speechless, his eyes turned red with rage.

"When I confronted him and he changed into Dirk, he told me he was planning this revenge for years. He kidnapped Johnny, used his hair to make the Polyjuice potion, and when he was done with it, he killed him!!! He killed Johnny!!!" Ana released a sob she was holding for too long, and, for a moment, she felt like she was drifting away, losing consciousness. "He killed Johnny because of me..." She cried.

Severus grabbed Ana when she tumbled and nearly collapsed to the floor. She was feeling weak, but nothing would stop her from revealing the whole truth. Her beloved helped her perch on the couch and remained right by her side, with their hands intertwined.

"When we started experimenting with the herb, he achieved some breakthroughs of his own, apparently, and from that point on, he made a nasty plan... I don't know when he kidnapped Johnny... I don't know how long he had been in our lives... All I know is that he wanted to break me, make me miserable by taking everything that I cherish away from me... Dirk created this disease to weaken me... It's no coincidence it started here in Hogwarts... Malik was exchanging some letters with a girl from another school, and his friends warned me that she wrote in an unusual way, but I never paid too much attention to it. My guess is that Dirk was that "girl" and somehow managed to make him ill..." She stopped for a minute, looking down when Severus' thumb caressed her hand. Once again, it warmed up her heart and soothed the uproar of emotions boiling deep inside of her. "Besides that disease, he also made a killing poison that he intended to release in this school. It has the power to kill every living creature in a few kilometers radius."

Ana pointed at the box in Clark's hands, and their gazes became more terrorized.

"He threatened me - if I told this to anyone, he'd... he'd make sure everyone I care about dies, in the most horrifically way... He wanted me to be alone, to leave my life behind and die miserably all by myself," she looked up at Severus, fretting to let out the rest of the story. But there was still a lot more to talk before telling the harsh truth about what was about to befall. "So, I ran. I disappeared... I had to plan what to do next and how to stop him from killing everyone."

"But... where have you been?" Minerva spoke for the first time since Ana started telling the story.

"London, Watford..." She listed many towns. "I slept in awful places... Where there was no possibility of being recognized. Mostly on Muggle Inns... I even adjusted my appearance because everyone knows who I am in this world... And I couldn't take that risk... I knew Severus would discover me if even a clue reached his ears."

Severus felt a knot in his throat as he learned how degrading the latest three months were for Ana. He was wrecked by her absence, but now he knows she went through hell and, therefore, he wasn't sure he was sad for her or adored her even more.

"I almost came back several times... But if I did, I'd put everyone in danger, and I couldn't-- I couldn't," Ana squeezed Severus' hand, looking for the courage to continue. Severus planted a kiss on the top of her head, allowing his lips to linger there for more than five seconds. Ana wiped her tears and continued. "I had an idea of someone who could help me, so I went to Hogsmeade, and asked my uncle for help - Aberforth."

Ana overheard Severus snort and grumbling something like. " _I knew it_."

She looked at him with an apologetic look, and Severus closed his mouth in a thin line and shrugged.

"I spent a few days with him and asked him for help to find some people that I needed to see... I just -- I decided to trust my gut... The next thing I knew I was in Paris," at the pleasant memories of her days with her parents, Ana smiled weakly. "Anyway, I, uh, I eventually managed to find a way to catch Dirk, who had been hiding, and I realized that the potion had to be hiding here in the school. I just didn't know where or how he managed to make it inside."

"How did you manage to hold him prisoner?" Kingsley asked. "I remember he was also convicted of using dark magic against the little girl he raped. He'd be nearly impossible to find if he used it."

"Well, I fought fire with fire... And I had help..." Ana paused for a moment when she felt Severus' dark emotions growing with each word she pronounced. Knowing he'd explode at any moment, Ana looked up at him and smiled. "I went to Paris to meet my foster parents. The Gamps."

"You went to your parents?" Severus asked, widening his eyes in disbelief. His energy immediately dissipated and he was actually impressed. He had been searching for them for a year and a half and he didn't have any clue about their whereabouts.

"Yes," her smile grew wider. "I made amends with them."

Severus' curled his lips up. The smile on Ana's face told him everything went fine and she had disposed of a heavy height she had been carrying for years ever since her parents abandoned her. He was there when they disappeared, he saw how broken Ana was, and as the years passed, he knew that Ana still loved them and wanted to know if they were alive and well.

"They are muggles, are they not?" Kingsley asked, intrigued. "How could they have helped you?"

Ana quickly explained they were hidden by Dark magic that Voldemort had cast on them when he delivered baby Ana to them. She also told them they were under an unbreakable bow with a former Death Eater who vowed to protect them and assist them in whatever they needed. And that was her plan of escape, that was how she managed to restrain Dirk in London and interrogate him until he spilled the truth, without even realizing. 

The actual location of where Dirk was being held was shared with Clark and Kingsley, along with a recording of their conversation, with Dirk's confessions. That must be everything they needed to know to make him rot in the deepest and darkest corner of Azkaban.

When Ana gave Dirk's location, Clark and Kingsley immediately looked at each other. Their expressions were clear - they would arrest him right away and make him pay for everything he had done.

"Well, if there's nothing more to add, then I should go and fetch the prisoner," Kingsley said, patting Ana on her shoulder.

Minerva, Kingsley, and Clark got up from the couch in order to leave, and Ana and Severus mimicked them.

"I'm truly sorry for what happened..." Kingsley said. "But it's over, Ana. I promise he will never leave that prison again... You have my word -- You can go back to your normal life now..."

"I can't..." Ana interrupted him.

Everyone halted their movements and that's when Severus' heart stiffened. 

"And why is that?" Kingsley asked.

 _This is it,_ Ana thought.

She glanced at Severus, sensing the agony in his body. The tears returned to her eyes, but her voice didn't give in, even though she was, once again, dazed.

"Dirk wanted to hurt the people I love, but he also wanted me to be all alone... So -- he found a way to keep me from Severus..." She gulped and cleared her throat. "He... he poured something in my drink while he was still undercover... Some kind of _potion_."

Severus' body turned numb and gelid as if his soul fled his body. He comprehended what Ana was saying, he knew what potion she was referring to and what it was meant to do, and it felt as if the whole world crumbled under his feet.


	27. Chapter 27

"What kind of potion?" Clark asked.

Severus didn't move, flinch, or assert a word. He was staring at Ana as if she was a ghost. As if she said the most offensive thing in the world.

"A very harmful one..." Ana's lower lip trembled as she spoke. "I couldn't get involved with Severus... _Intimately_ , I mean. If I did, I'd be sick and, most likely, die, slowly and painfully, Dirk said. That's one of the reasons why I left... Because I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away from him."

Minerva gasped at Ana's words and her eyes fell on Severus' numb expression.

"Well, then we must try to find a way to reverse a spell while it is still torpid. We can have a team to help you --" Clark said, jumping alarmed as Severus began yelling at Ana.

"What the bloody hell, Ana? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you hide it from me?" Severus shouted, shaking Ana by her shoulders. In so many years Ana met Severus, she never saw him that angry, that desperate. His dark eyes turned even darker, something she never deemed possible, but the red veins filled with deranged blood were more conspicuous. He understood what Ana meant by her words. He knew what was going to happen and he was hopeless. "Why did you do this??? You could have stopped it!!!"

"How could I stop it? Would you be able?" Ana shoved his hands away from her shoulders and pushed him away from her.

"I don't fucking care!!!" He took a step towards her.

"What? What is wrong?" Minerva questioned, placing a hand in front of Severus' chest to stop him from approaching Ana. The look in his eyes actually terrorized her. He was blind by fury.

Ana looked at Minerva, opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her throat was dry, there was air confined inside of her lungs, hindering her from breathing properly; her heart was hammering quickly inside of her chest; millions of thoughts were traveling at the speed of light in her mind.

Minerva was waiting for an explanation, while Clark and Kingsley were silent, not knowing what to do or say.

"We were together last night," Severus rustled, his eyes never moving from Ana's face. Slowly, the reality of what happened was taking over the raven-haired man, which was making him lose control and allow a few tears to escape his eyes.

"What do you mean together?" Minerva asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"We made up for the lost time. Several times, so..." Ana replied almost inaudibly, seeking to hold her tears.

"The blood you showed me, it is yours, isn't it?" Severus questioned. "That is why you did not want to answer my questions."

"Yes," she replied. "I have been trying to find something to cure it, but I can't... And -- and the idea of living a life without you it's way worse than dying with you holding my hand."

Minerva widened her clear eyes which were filled with tears falling to her cheeks. With a nod of her head, she gestured Clark and Kingsley to leave the office with her, in order to leave Ana and Severus alone.

The heavy aura in the room was more painful to bear than ever. Ana and Severus didn't vocalize a word even after the rest of the people left the room. 

"Severus..." Ana whispered, walking closer to Severus. 

"How could you do this to me?" Severus sat on the steps in front of Minerva's desk, with a completed defeated posture.

Ana didn't know what to do or what to say instead of crying noiselessly while Severus gazed at the floor, deeply lost in his thoughts as tears cascaded from his eyes.

After a few moments of silence, Severus belatedly spoke.

"Do you remember when I told you that I wanted to take you to the beach during the Summer, right before you left?"

"Yes," Ana said, furrowing her brows at the peculiar question.

Severus rummaged for something in his pockets. Slowly, he caught something from the inner pocket of his robes. A small black velvety box.

Ana kneeled in front of him sobbing when he opened the small box and revealed a wedding ring. "I was going to propose to you..."

The broken tone in his voice was too overwhelming and caused Ana to bury her head in her hands, sobbing with no signs of quieting. Everything that happened was her fault - the disease, the threat against Hogwarts, and, now, she lost the love of her life. The person with whom she would spend the rest of her life. If everything ended that day, she'd make an effort to make up for what she did, every day, until the day of her death. However, she was doomed to die sooner and there was nothing she could do. Perhaps, she deserved it. Perhaps, it was destiny, after all.

The image of his beloved crumbling into pieces in front of Severus was something he swore he'd never allow happening. He swore he'd make her happy when the Wizarding War was over. Severus was decided to make Ana the happiest woman in the world, and such a wrecked sight right in front of him proved that he had failed.

He wasn't going to fail on her again. 

With one hand, Severus shoved Ana's hands away from her face and hoisted her chin up to look at her face. Then, he stroked her cheek delicately.

"After last night, I thought we'd figure this out together, and then this would be the first thing I'd do. If this had come to an end today, I'd get on my knees and declare my love to you. I'd tell you how much I love you and that it would be an honor to take you as my lovely wife."

Ana closed her eyes, feeling his fingers wiping away her never-ending tears.

"Shh," Severus rustled. "Don't cry."

He yanked her to him and embraced her tightly.

"I'm sorry I disappointed you," Ana muttered against his neck.

"You didn't," he planted a kiss on her cheek. Then, he pushed her away just enough to be able to look her in the eyes. "You hurt me, but you did not disappoint me. I'd do precisely the same as you did..."

"I know," she smiled between her tears.

Severus refused to lose his beloved like that. He could not simply accept her fate and he was decided to seek for a solution, even if that was the ultimate thing he'd do. Tugging her closer to him, he closed the gap between them, kissing her passionately, showing her that it was not over to him. He was not giving up without a fight, because that's who he was. He was a fighter. He always has been.

"Will you let me help you now?" He asked her, beaming at the bedazzled expression across her delicate features.

"I don't have much choice now, do I?"

"No," Severus answered sternly. Even if she denied his help, he'd force her. He'd even use an Imperius curse on her if she was that obstinate. "We will solve this, together."

Ana cupped Severus' cheeks and compelled him to look her in the eyes.

"Severus, if I d-"

He interrupted her. "Shut up."

"If I die," she emphasized.

"Please, don't continue."

"Severus, you have to listen to me!" She shook his shoulders. "If something happens, I don't regret it... Last night, I mean."

Severus shut his mouth in a thin line.

 _She is stubborn_.

"I remember you called it a _mistake_ ," Severus pointed out, making Ana chuckle.

"Nothing about you is a mistake," she said with the most genuine smile he ever saw.

There was a moment of silence, less heavy than the preceding ones.

"So, why did you do it knowing it will most certainly kill you?" Severus asked.

Ana planted a soft kiss on his lips before answering.

"If it was the other way around -- if you were in my situation, would you be able to stay away from me after you saw me so devasted as I saw you? Wouldn't you want to feel me again? Even if that's the last thing you'd do?" Severus gulped and part of him felt guilty. If he simply trusted her, listened to her when she begged him to stay away, if he didn't push her to her limits as he did, perhaps Ana would never spend the night with him and condemn herself to such an unfair fate. "You have your answer now... I wanted you. _God_ , I want you right now."

"Well, Minerva will not come back for a while," he stated in a solemn tone, even though his lips imperceptibly curled up.

The couple's laughter crashed the silence of that awful morning.

A lot was coming their way, and they recognized it wasn't going to be easy. One thing was evident, though: if Ana dies, Severus would be the one holding her hand.


	28. Chapter 28

**Two days later:**

"Oh, Ana, it's so good to see you!!! I was so worried about you," Alba hugged her friend as tight as she could. Something about Alba's gaze was heartening to Ana. She wasn't judgmental (considering Johnny, her partner and dear friend, was killed because of her), but she wasn't pitying her either. 

The story about what happened remained in complete secrecy. Ana, along with just a few members of the Ministry of Magic knew about the tragedy behind Ana's disappearance and about her near fate. Later, as her dearest people were informed about Ana being back, she couldn't disguise the fact that she was not well considering the fact that it was becoming too visible. The Weasleys and the Potters sent her letters, to which she replied explaining she had ingested a poison that was slowly killing her, without mentioning the facts behind the story.

However, Alba was the first person that traveled all the way back to London as soon as the news about Ana's returning started to spread. By Severus' request, Alba would be acquainted with what's happening to Ana, since she could also help Severus and the rest of the people working on a cure for her. Dreading the moment of her revelation, Ana invited Alba for a cup of tea, even though all Ana fancied was a couple of butterbeer or a nice cup of Whiskey - Severus was against it because of her degrading condition.

"Your hair looks amazing, but you look like shit. Where have you been?"

Ana honestly missed Alba's natural energy and, mostly, her lack of lady-like manners. Reasonably that's what she loved the most about the brunette - she says exactly what she thinks and she does not pretend to like someone she does not.

Ana smiled at Alba and gestured her to sit on the front porch's couch.

"I - I want to tell you everything, but the Ministry of Magic is against it. But I do have things to tell you and I will need your help. I will need you to come back to London and work with me in - uh - a personal project," Ana said.

Severus appeared at the front door with a tray of tea.

"I shall go for a walk," Severus said. "Good evening, Alba."

"Hey, you," Alba greeted him with an understanding smile. She was the few people that actually tried to help Severus find Ana or any clue about the reason why she vanished. They became acquaintances during Ana's absence, and Severus was somehow grateful that Alba was Ana's best friend at the moment. Ana is the kindest and smartest woman he had ever met, but Alba was a good woman too - someone he knew he could trust when it came to Ana's wellbeing.

Severus walked away with his hands in his dark blue cardigan after kissing Ana's forehead.

"Woah, he is changed. No more dark robes and he pronounced more than 1 word and a snort. That's evolution," Alba joked, causing Ana to chuckle.

"If, when I met him, someone told me I'd be here today, and he'd be the man he turned out to be, I think I'd die laughing," as the last words came out of her lips, Ana's smile vanished gradually. She was indeed going to die. 

After that horrible night in Hogwarts, after telling the truth to Severus, Minerva, and the Minister, she was basically forced to fight. No one allowed her to give up, even though she was absolutely sure her fate was predestined and there was no escape. All she wanted was to spend the remaining time of her life with Severus and her friends, leaving good memories and her mark so that everyone knows she was in their lives, even years after perishing. 

Severus refused to accept that. Minerva. Kingsley. The Weasleys. The Potters. Everyone who held her in the special place of their hearts.

"Something horrible happened to you," Alba thought out loud. "Didn't it?"

"I'm afraid so, yes," Ana's eyes wandered down to the serene river. She inhaled slowly and calmly. "And everyone around me was caught in the crossfire."

"Johnny..."

The memories attached to the name twisted something inside Ana's stomach. An urge to throw up took over her, but Ana took a deep breath.

The curious and worried look on Alba's face felt like daggers. She couldn't hide the truth behind Johnny's death. All Alba knew was that he died and it was related to Ana's disappearance. Nothing else. The Ministry of Magic did their job right.

"Yes..." Ana nibbled her lower lip. "Promise me - promise you will keep everything I tell you a secret. I was supposed not to tell you what happened, but Johnny was your friend too, and considering the last few months we spent with him, you need to know the truth."

Alba didn't speak. The knot in her throat didn't let her.

"Johnny was kidnapped and someone was taking his place by drinking Polyjuice. I don't know for how long he was in captivity, but you need to know that the Johnny we knew would never behave like that," Ana said, while the tears burned her dark eyes. She thought by now she wouldn't have more tears to cry, but, clearly, she was wrong. "A monster changed places with him to get to me. And he did it... He destroyed my life, Alba."

"What do you mean?" She managed to ask, even though her voice trembled.

Ana took a deep breath and decided to share only what concerned her health.

"I'm dying, Alba," she said, making Alba gasp in shock and widen up her eyes. "I drank a killing potion, based on Angel's Trumpet. It was dormant until the moment I got involved intimately with Severus. It was supposed to keep us apart, to make me miserable while his other plans unfolded."

"Oh, my God," Alba cried, pulling Ana for a hug. 

"It's ok," Ana tried to comfort her, but the tears kept strolling down her eyes. "I'm dying, but at least the nightmare is over. I'm back and Severus forgave me for running away."

"It's not ok!" Alba yelled but didn't let go of her. "Why couldn't you keep your fucking hands off of him. Fucking nympho!"

"Well, you know me," Ana replied and the both of them cried and chuckled at the same time.

A moment of heavy silence took over the two friends.

"We have to find a cure," Alba said determined, pulling away from Ana's arms and cleaning her tears away. "I'm here to help."

"Severus would like to hear that," Ana said. "He is putting up a team of people to work on a cure for me. You, him, a few members of the Ministry of Magic and Madame Pomfrey. We start in a day."

"Count on me," Alba assured her. "I handed your every piece of research to Severus. We accomplished some discoveries of ourselves while examining it for any clue of where the hell you were. You might want to see my notes and Severus'."

"Yes, I will, thank you."

Alba took a sip of her tea, but Ana could notice her hands trembling. Ana's serious gaze turned into a sad one, knowing how distressed her friend became by knowing just part of the truth. She couldn't even begin to imagine how other people would react if the whole truth came out. Panic, rage, sadness - those were the feelings she knew she'd receive from other people. Even though Severus, Minerva, and Kinglsey told her time after time none of it was her fault, Ana couldn't stop feeling guilty. And that feeling was consuming her mind every day.

The truth is that, regardless of the fact that her research was used to create the illness that killed thousands of people, it was also her research that helped save them and that slightly lifted the weight off her shoulders. Furthermore, knowing she was able to stop Thomas right on time and save Hogwarts, helped her clear part of her remorse. However, she could not undo the thousands of deaths, and that was taking a toll on her.

"How have you been feeling?" Alba asked.

"I have been feeling nausea, dizziness, and some headache. It started as something soft and evolved into something more intense. It's been almost a couple of days now, so... I think it's going to be quicker than Severus estimates."

Alba closed her mouth in a thin line. Severus was walking back to the house, after walking for more than half an hour. He seemed profoundly lost in his thoughts.

"How's he handling it?"

Ana's eyes lingered on her beloved for a few moments.

"Not very well. He thinks he can hide it from me, but... He was a mess when I came back... I never ever saw him in such pain. He was completely broken. Yet, he put all that to the side because I was back and he received me with open arms... I couldn't stay away from him, not like that... And when I told him about the poison, not only his heart was shattered as was his soul. I -" Ana choked on her words. "I felt it. I felt his soul being destroyed by the truth... But, despite of anything, he is here with me. Taking care of me, more than I want him to... He is showing how much he loves me, even though he is a broken man."

"And I was the fool that questioned your relationship," Alba remembered.

"Don't worry," Ana smiled. "You were not the only one doing it... But you were the only now asking about my sex life with him, though."

Alba started laughing, feeling her cheeks flushing at the memory.

"Yes, I did! Oh, my God... I do remind you telling me it was outstanding."

"Because it was," Ana laughed even more at Severus' expression as he slowly approached their front yard. "Now we do it like it's the last time because it just might be."

"HEY! TOO SOON FOR DARK HUMOR, ALRIGHT?" Alba scolded Ana with her face in utter shock, which only made Ana laugh harder. "Good to know your inopportune humor wasn't affected, but I want no jokes about this."

"Alright, alright," Ana said.

Severus approached the two women and caressed Ana's head, exchanging a serious look with Alba. The tears and the puffy red eyes told him Ana had already spilled out the truth about why she was called back to London.

Severus and Alba talked about their plans for the cure, and Severus even brought the box with Ana's research to the small round table on the porch where they analyzed Ana's, Alba's, and Severus' notes. Ana pretended to be listening attentively, while her mind drifted off oftentimes. 

After a couple of hours of studying all the possibilities they had, Alba rushed out of their lovely home after swearing she wouldn't rest until she found a cure. Her destination was the Ministry of Magic, more specifically the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where she'd be working with a small but experienced group of scientists. The Minister of Magic, a dear friend of the formers Order of Phoenix's members spared no efforts in hiring the best of the best.

Alba's mind was racing, but, as always, she was able to put her emotions apart in order to save her best friend's life. That was her most important and only goal right now.

"How did she handle it?" Severus asked as soon as Alba disapparated in front of them.

"Better than I anticipated, but badly all the same," she leaned her head against Severus' shoulder.

Severus caressed Ana's arm casually, but that simple gesture was more meaningful than intended. It warmed her heart and ceased the painful noise in her mind, after so many hours of conversation and working around the notes about Angel's Trumpet. In fact, his touch did more than healing her mind, it woke up her senses and there was strong but familiar electricity coursing through her veins.

"Shall we make diner?" Severus asked, not paying attention to the sparkles in Ana's dark brown orbs.

She stopped him from moving and he stared down at her, acknowledging the look upon her face.

"I'm hungrier for something else."

A small smirk appeared on Severus' tired face and before she knew it, Severus was carrying her in his arms to their bedroom, his lustful eyes worshiping every inch of her gentle face.


	29. Chapter 29

For the following three days, no one was resting for even a minute. 

Severus, Alba, and the elected team were working tirelessly through every hour of the day and night while endeavoring to produce something that they could call an antidote. Hope in their eyes was growing each minute, as their experiments were being prosperous, but it would fade away completely as Ana's symptoms were worsening every second that passed. 

Only Ana herself was truly conscious of the seriousness of her unhealthy days. She tried to conceal her pain from the ones surrounding her, but every time she became nauseous and threw up, no one was indifferent - they knew she was struggling to keep her posture, to keep a smile on her face as a way to motivate everyone around her. However, as the hours passed by, the light on her face faded gradually every morning she believed she was waking up just to face another _pointless_ workday.

Day by day, hour by hour, Ana was losing the never-ending hope she seemed to have.

The once joyful and happy woman was now helpless, desperate, as she watched her beloved, Severus, working on a fake sense of hope.

Then, she started giving up, and her dearest friends noticed.

***

A week after starting the investigation, the team was preparing another experiment that could tell them more about the efficiency of their healing potion. It was based on Angel's Trumpet too, but, Ana was convinced that Dirk must have used the red flower blooming from the rare herb.

However, after so many experiments, the rest of the team believed the antidote could be made by using the yellow flower - with which, obviously, Ana disagreed. After a heated discussion - when everyone realized Ana's hope was decaying as her health - she argued that the red flower was indeed the answer to her condition. No one listened to her, knowing that particular flower was the most lethal one, until Alba got on her foot and walked out of the meeting to start working with the red flower.

The truth behind the team's hesitation was fear. They were afraid that, if one of them made a single wrong move, they could all die painfully. That's how dangerous the red flower could be.

However, after a few days, Severus Snape had enough: he dismissed the rest of the team and only he and Alba were working on concluding the experiments, trying their best to focus on the work and not on Ana's worsening symptoms.

***

That morning, Ana woke up in a jolt after a dreading nightmare. Severus was still sound asleep and she intended to keep it that way as she quietly walked out of their bedroom and sat on the front porch with a mug of hot coffee in her hand.

Her eyes wandered the landscape before closing and then she inhaled deeply and slowly. Several times.

She could feel it in the air.

Her end. It was coming. Fast.

Her main worry was Severus. How would he handle it after she's gone? She wanted him to be happy, but she was also well aware of how strong-headed he is. He spent decades in love with someone who married another man and had a baby with him. She died and his feelings were the same for years until Ana appeared in his life. Was someone else able to melt his cold heart when she is no longer in that world? Her biggest desire was for him to be happy, and that was the only thing worrying her more than her condition.

"I could practically hear you thinking from the bed," Severus' rough voice startled Ana who stared at him with tears in her eyes. "What is it?"

Severus kneeled in front of Ana as she sobbed.

For the first time since she returned and told him the truth, Ana was desperately crying and showing how scared of dying she was.

"Hey," Severus whispered, trying to stop her tears. "I am here. Tell me what is going through that brilliant head of yours."

Ana nodded her head and buried her face in Severus' neck.

"I'm so scared," she muttered.

"Me too," he replied in a weak tone. "But I'm certain we have finally found what we were looking for, Ana."

He pulled away from her so that he could look her in the eyes and wipe her tears away.

"What if it doesn't work?" Ana asked, trying her best to stop her tears.

"It will. It has to work," he simply replied.

"What if it doesn't?" Severus was about to scold her but Ana interrupted him with a firmer tone. "You have to prepare yourself for the possibility that I might not survive, Severus. And the last thing I want is for you to blame yourself or to spend the rest of my days living with a fake sense of hope. This poison is probably irreversible and watching you working day and night for a cure that might not work it's not worth it!"

"What do you expect me to do? Nothing? Watch you die?" Severus got up angrily. "Would you let me die?"

Ana rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her mug. The look in her eyes made him madder and sadder, at the same time.

"Stop doing that," Severus growled, tired of her behavior. "Stop acting like this is the end."

"Isn't it?"

"No, it is not!" He roared. "We have survived through too much for it to end it this way. I won't let you die, and if you lost your hope, that's fine, but you will never make me lose mine!" 

Before Ana could say anything, Severus disapparated and everything turned silent.

***

"Good morning," Alba said not even taking her eyes off the chalkboard where she was writing.

When she heard Severus' grumbling in response, she knew something was not well and turned around to see his angry demeanor.

"Hey, what happened?"

Severus stared angrily at Alba, ready to order her to mind her own business, but he realized in that instant that she was just worried and she was, indeed, a friend.

"Ana. Ana happened and her capability of being the most extraordinary and intelligent woman I've ever met and also being the most obtuse and stubborn."

If Alba hasn't seen Severus' deranged face, she'd be laughing and agreeing with his words, but she knew he was in distress. Ana was in distress. They all were.

"Ana is suffering, Severus. She's the same girl you've met, but she is suffering," Alba said.

"And I am not?" He almost yelled at her.

" _Exactly_. She's not suffering because of her condition. She's in pain mostly because she's watching you suffer because of her," Alba said, making Severus halt his movements and actually think about her words. "I've talked to her yesterday. She's a mess... We're conducting the most important mission of our lives and all she can think about is your wellbeing. You know her, she's a dreamer but also the most down to earth woman I've ever met. And she is admitting that she might not be cured in time and the fact that she doesn't want you to be alone is more painful than the condition itself."

"She should be worrying about herself," he replied.

Alba smiled weakly and turned around to finish the notes on the board.

"That is why she has us. To worry about her while she worries about the rest of the world."

Severus closed his mouth in a thin line while processing the honesty behind her words. But then, what Alba was writing caught his attention.

"Have you done the experiments already?"

Alba finished what she was writing and yawned.

"Yep. Couldn't sleep and had an idea. So I tried something and I - I don't want to create false expectations - but, look," she picked Ana's blood sample and added a few drops of a new potion she produced during dawning.

As Severus cast several spells to verify the results, he widened his eyes.

Alba was biting her lower lip, containing her tears in silence.

Severus looked up at Alba and down at the now clean blood sample.

"Does this means --?" He started talking, but chocked in his words, stopping mid-sentence.

"I think so," Alba replied. "I'm afraid of the consequences, though. I don't know how this will turn out in the long term."

"If this keeps her alive enough time for us to study this poison through the years, it's worth it," Severus immediately replied, getting ready to repeat the process and test it again, just to make sure they were not mistaken.

They couldn't be mistaken.


End file.
